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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24531670">Journey To A New Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TLWtlw/pseuds/TLWtlw'>TLWtlw</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Earth's Children - Jean M. Auel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:54:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>37,007</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24531670</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TLWtlw/pseuds/TLWtlw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A look at the clan after Ayla's is death cursed and beyond. Eventual AU.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Earth's Children belongs to Jean M. Auel.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Broud's clan had been traveling for several days after the earthquake that had destroyed their previous home. All of the women were heavily loaded down with all the clan's belongings and it seemed they were getting slower with each passing day. He had also noticed once in a while that some of them were running to the side of the trail to throw up. He called for a stop and ordered Uba to speak to the women to find out what was wrong and to treat them.</p><p>He also added, "If they don't stop being so lazy that they can't keep up, I will make them sorry. And that goes for you as well. We have to find a new cave and I can't let them hold us up".</p><p>Uba called the women to speak to her while they started preparing the evening meal. She was fairly sure what was wrong, if they had the same symptoms she did.</p><p>"Have any of you had your women's curse"? she asked.</p><p>Only Ovra had. Ika was still nursing her last child, so she wasn't expecting. And it was known that Aga was already pregnant. Ebra, Uka, and Aba were too old. So it was herself, Ona, and Oga who were newly pregnant. She brewed them a special tea to help them with the nausea and to keep the food down. Ovra and the older women offered to do more of the work so the ones afflicted could rest some more.</p><p>Uba went to report this to Broud. She lowered herself to the ground and looked down, waiting patiently for him to tap her shoulder.</p><p>She stated, "Besides Aga who is already pregnant, so are Oga, Ona and myself. I have given them a tea to help with the nausea."</p><p>Although he was pleased to hear that Oga would soon be giving him another son, he realized that this wasn't the best time.</p><p>He gestured impatiently, "Will it make them walk faster? We have to keep moving."</p><p>Uba answered, knowing it wasn't what he wanted to hear, "It will not make it easier for them. They need more rest".</p><p>Broud cuffed her and shoved her to the ground in frustration and walked away. Vorn rushed over to help her up and was glaring murderously at Broud's retreating back. He opened his mouth to say something. But Brun motioned him to be quiet.</p><p>He called out Broud's name and when Broud turned around he said, "Brun would make a suggestion".</p><p>"What is it"?, Broud snapped.</p><p>Brun said, "Perhaps the older children could take some of the the load off the women and help carry the younger children as well".</p><p>Broud answered, "Igra can't carry that much, she's just a child".</p><p>Brun sighed and said, "I don't just mean Igra. I mean Brac and Groob as well".</p><p>Broud was irate at the idea, "They are not doing women's work. Especially not the son of my mate".</p><p>Brun was frustrated and told him, "Can you not see that they are ready to fall over with fatigue from the pace you are setting? You need to slow down. What's more important, that the boys carry a little now or the women get sick and can't go on at all? Ebra has already told me that she and the other older women would do more of the meal time chores. Perhaps you could also leave the older men to guard the women and have the younger men scout the areas we are in for caves". He punctuated his lecture with a hard stare and as usual Broud stood down.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Later that evening, Uba and Vorn were sitting quietly around their fire. Uba had already put Durc down to sleep.</p><p>Vorn suddenly said, "I'm very pleased that you are going to have another child Uba".</p><p>She answered, "I am pleased as well. I hope it's a boy to make up for the one I lost".</p><p>He seemed to hesitate before he continued speaking, knowing that it went against clan customs, but he wanted to make her feel better, "You didn't say anything that disrespected Broud. I don't think that he should have cuffed you and pushed you down like that for no good reason".</p><p>Vorn knew men were not supposed to be critical of each other around women. But he had wanted to hit Broud for trying to hurt his mate who was just giving an honest answer. He didn't want her to lose another baby. He didn't even mind if this one turned out to be a girl. The line of the medicine woman had to go on after all.</p><p>It warmed Uba's heart that Vorn would say something like that. She wanted to say something, but knew it wasn't her place. He saw her body language and said, "You want to say something"?</p><p>She answered, "Yes, but I'm afraid it will sound disrespectful".</p><p>He said, "You have my permission to say it. I'm not going to cuff you or tell anyone else. Even if I don't like it"</p><p>She took a deep breath and just said it, "Yes, it's true he cuffed me for no reason. But he cuffed....my sister all the time. And my mother's mate cuffed my mother for no reason. I have my mother's memories of this. Maybe Broud doesn't need a reason".</p><p>She changed subjects, "I've said too much. If there's nothing else you need I am going to bed".</p><p>She left him alone by the fire trying to reconcile thoughts he had never really had before.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next day things went a little better. Broud set a slower pace. The older children had taken some of the load. Not much, since they were still children. It especially disgusted Broud that Brac was carrying some of the stuff. Igra carried her little sibling Dorv and some of the belongings so her mother could take a bigger load. Ovra took turns with Uba carrying Durc when he didn't want to walk even though she was carrying the heaviest load of all. At first Durc didn't necessarily want to be away from Uba. She was the only constant in his life right now since his mother and Creb were gone. But Ovra was real nice and cuddled him and said she wished she had a nice little boy like him.</p><p>When everyone had settled down after the evening meal. Goov waited until he was sure Broud was asleep and sought out Brun to talk to him. He asked if they could go somewhere private.</p><p>"What's troubling you Goov"?, Brun asked.</p><p>Goov answered, "You are the only one I can trust with what I'm about to tell you. When I went back into the Mog-Ur's chamber in our old cave to retrieve the skulls, cloak and our sacred stones, I found that the bones I had used to set the curse were destroyed. Completely crushed by a falling rock. The curse is broken. She's alive. What should I do"?</p><p>Brun sighed and answered, "You know you can't tell Broud or anyone else that might tell him. He will just order you to curse her again. I am hoping that he will settle down and do what he should now that she is not here. I'm glad he took my suggestion. The women seem to be doing better, don't you think"?</p><p>Goov said, "Yes, they do seem to be doing better. But he's not happy about it". He then changed subjects, "Ayla did seem to bring out the worst in him, even when she didn't mean to. Creb told me once when I asked why it was so hard for her to conform and why Broud acted the way he did about it. He told me about the man of the Others that lived with the clan when he was a child and you were an infant. He said that man had said that in their clans the men and women had equal standing. So even though she didn't consciously recall her own family or people, she was going against her very nature by conforming and sometimes she couldn't hide what she really felt. And Creb also said that Broud couldn't stand anything that took attention away from him".</p><p>Brun looked pensive when he replied, "I think that's the crux of the problem. I know he should know from the memories what the right thing to do is. I've even questioned him when he was growing up. But when it comes to the practical application of what he knows, if it doesn't suit him, he doesn't do it. He reminds me of Ebra's sibling Verm. That one had a violent temper and an exaggerated opinion of himself as well as I'm sure you recall".</p><p>They sat in silence for a few moments, then saw Vorn start to head over and when he got there he said, "Brun, I want to thank you for stopping me from saying something I would have regretted earlier. I was just so angry that he hit Uba for no reason. She was just giving him an honest answer in her capacity as medicine woman. I worry for her, especially now that she is with child again. Isn't it enough that she has lost her mother, man of hearth and....sister. Then I got to thinking, are any of us any different, there's no stopping any of us men from treating women like Broud does if we chose to do so. I know, I know, it's our custom. But does that mean it's right? I don't know what's wrong with me. Questioning our memories and customs like this".</p><p>Brun said, "I don't know what to tell you Vorn. Other than you have realized your childhood idol is not so great. We will all have to try to influence him to make better choices. The thing to remember is he has to think it's his idea".</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vorn and Borg were scouting for game so they could get some more meat to dry for the journey. And for possible caves before they moved on from this area. In the distance they saw a group of people and they realized they were clan. They called out and motioned a greeting. When they got closer, since it was a different group they used the silent formal language that all clan knew. He noticed that one of the men had a scar on the right side of his face and on his right shoulder. One of the children, a girl, had an injured arm and looked to be in pain. The younger of the two women had a younger girl child who looked deformed in the way that Durc was. Actually they seemed familiar. And much to his surprise the older woman was carrying a girl who looked about one turning of the seasons old and the child had dark red hair of all things. There was also a slightly older man and a boy child who looked a little older than the injured girl.</p><p>Vorn introduced himself, "I'm Vorn, second in command of the clan of Broud. This other hunter is Borg. Our former cave was destroyed in the earthquake that happened recently and we are looking for a new one."</p><p>The older of the two men said, "I am Berc, my fellow hunter is Vek. And then this is Vek's mother Orma, her two daughters Uta and Oba. The boy is Grun who is the son of my mate. And finally this is my sibling Oda and her daughter Ura. Vek and his family and myself and Grun are from a cave farther to the east of here. I had moved there with my mate a few years ago. That cave was destroyed by a quake as well. But our numbers had dwindled so much, there weren't many left. There were other survivors although sadly my mate was not among them. We came to the cave where Oda lived. They had some deaths as well including Oda's mate. The leader wanted Oda and Ura gone because he thought they were bringing bad luck to the clan. They didn't want to take in Orma and her children because they thought little Oba was bad luck as well because of the color of her hair. Although they accepted the other people. Oda told me that Ura was promised to be the mate of the son of the medicine woman of the clan of Brun. We were hoping that we could join the clan of Brun. That is the name of your former leader is it not"?</p><p>"Yes, Brun was our former leader", Vorn said, "That medicine woman is dead now, but her son still lives. He lives now at my hearth as the adopted son of my mate who was her sister. My mate is now medicine woman. Speaking of medicine. I noticed the girl is injured".</p><p>Berc nodded and said, "Yes, she fell a couple of days ago. Her arm may be broken, we tried to do what we could to keep her from moving it. But we don't really know how to heal it".</p><p>Vorn said, "Come back with us, so my mate can look at her arm. And we can ask Broud about your request". Vorn thought to himself, Broud is not going to like this. He will resent Ura because she's like Durc.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vorn and Borg led the others back to where the clan was camped. So they would have some meat to offer to the people who would hopefully take them in, on the way there Vek was able to get a large boar with a bola which he swung with his left arm. He explained that the scars on his right shoulder sometimes caused stiffness, so he had taught himself to use his left arm for the sling, bola and spear. Vorn told him that Brun and Zoug would be pleased to hear about how he had overcome his misfortune and excelled in their preferred weapons.</p><p>Vorn asked, "How did you receive your scars? Was it from an animal"?</p><p>Vek answered, "No, when I was a child, some lightening hit a tree near to me. Some burning pieces of wood hit my face and shoulder. I was lucky that the scar did not go as high on my face as my eye. Our medicine woman who was Berc's former mate used to make an ointment from animal fat and certain herbs to rub into my skin to help with the stiffness. But I no longer have any. Do you think your mate might know how to make some"?</p><p>Vorn nodded and said, "I will ask her".</p><p>When they finally got to the clearing, Broud walked over with a frown on his face and said, "Who are these people Vorn"?</p><p>Vorn repeated their story. He mentioned that they needed medical care and that they had brought meat with them.</p><p>Broud said, "I'm not sure I want to take them in. I don't really want any more deformed people in my clan".</p><p>Brun stepped up and said, "That is your choice of course Broud. But you did agree to the mating of Durc and Ura at the last gathering. It could seriously hurt our ranking at the next one if we don't live up to our obligations. Besides we would gain 2 new hunters plus Grun when he gets old enough. They already have women to mate. And their children can be mates for our young in the future. Perhaps Brac can mate with Uta when they are old enough".</p><p>The only thing that Brun said that mattered to Broud was that they not lose face at the next gathering so he grudgingly agreed and he added, "If we find a cave and we don't fail the hunt they may join our clan. Berc can mate with Orma and Vek with Oda. But I had already planned for Brac to mate Igra."</p><p>Goov said, "It would be better to blend us all together as one clan if we have matings between the 2 different groups. Grun could mate Igra. And maybe Grev with Oba. In my meditations I have discovered that matings outside of one's clan make for stronger children. You do want that don't you Broud? Strong children to continue the clan".</p><p>Broud agreed and said, "Very well. But make no mistake, if any woman has any more deformed children. They will be gotten rid of. I will tolerate no argument about this".</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Something about our new characters other than Ura who is half Others. They have a small amount of Others genetics. It's not half like Ura. Maybe not even a quarter. It's not enough to make them appear "not clan". But it's enough that they are more open minded and they can adapt better. Like Berc being loyal to his sibling and leaving with her. Like Vek adapting his hunting technique. Like Oba having red hair. Perhaps Oda has a little as well since she is Berc's sibling.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Uba went to where the new women had set up their camp space.</p><p>She said, "I have brought the medicinal ointment for Vek's scarred skin and I need to look at Uta's arm. If it is broken, it will most likely be healing improperly. In that case I will have to re-break it and set it.</p><p>Uba then motioned to Orma, "Can you gather me some straight sticks and make sure they are smoothed down and cut some leather into strips. I've brought an old wrap you can use for that. We will use these things to splint the arm. When the swelling goes down, I will put a birch bark cast on it".</p><p>Orma hurried off to get the sticks. After the examination that confirmed Uta's broken arm, Uba motioned to Oda who was stirring something cooking over the fire and keeping an eye on Ura and Oba, "Oda, it is good to see you again. I was just a child at the clan gathering when we met, about Uta's age".</p><p>Oda replied, "It is good to see you again as well Uba. Your mate Vorn said that Ay-gha (struggling with the name) had died. What happened?</p><p>Uba looked down sadly, "Please don't be offended if I refrain from mentioning. Suffice it to say, there was an unpleasant incident and Broud doesn't want it talked about or any mention of her".</p><p>Uba then changed the subject, "Are there any other health concerns in your group Oda"?</p><p>Oda nodded, "Yes, I believe I am with child again. I'm not far enough along to show yet, but I suspected before the earthquake that precipitated us leaving our old cave. I had missed one moon time and now I have missed another".</p><p>Uba said, "I will examine you later to confirm it".</p><p>Orma returned with what Uba instructed her to get. Uba sat down next to Uta and said, "I'm going to give you some medicine to help you sleep so I can fix your arm and you won't feel a thing because you're asleep. You should have full use of it when the cast comes off. You are a very brave little girl to have managed so well until now". Uta signed a thank you one handed.</p><p>She gave her the sleeping medicine and when it took affect she instructed Orma how to hold the other part of the girl's arm steady so she could proceed with the procedure.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After a few more days travel, when the men were having their regular meeting, Berc mentioned that he believed they were close to an area that might have some promising caves. This knowledge was deep in his memories. He pointed out the mountains in the distance. It wasn't that distant though. At first Broud didn't want to check it because this knowledge was not in his memories. But Goov reminded him if they went too much furthur, it would be too far to attend their usual clan gathering in a few years time. Besides if it took too long to find a cave then Aga's new baby might be born on the trail. So they walked the rest of the way to the mountains. Broud was gratified that the grasslands near the mountains were fairly teaming with large grazing animals including his own totem. The slopes were also lush with plant life and smaller animals.</p><p>The first 2 openings were not ideal. One was too far up. There didn't seem to be a path that wasn't too steep to get to it. Another opening was too small even if it was farther down. Berc said they should go around the base of the mountain. They did and found a large cave opening with a good path to it that would not be difficult to traverse. Broud, Vorn and Goov took their lit torches and started to go in. At the last minute, Broud signaled for Berc to come with them since it was his memories that led them here.</p><p>Right away it was seen that the main chamber was bigger than the old cave. There was a spring of water inside the cave that drained into the ground below it. They found several smaller chambers which could be used for storage. The most important thing, there was a large side chamber where they found cave bear bones.</p><p>Broud was very pleased with himself. He had found them a much better home than the old one. It was very important that he proved to everyone, especially Brun that he had did the right thing that day by cursing that insolent woman.</p><p>He called everyone's attention, "If the cave hunt is successful we will be move into our new home. We will hunt the wooly rhino".</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Broud decided to take Ovra, Oga, Uba, Ona and Ika with him and the hunters. He was going to stay overnight so they could dry the meat before they carried it back. Igra was with them as well, to carry her young sibling so Ika could carry more meat.</p><p>He decided to leave Brun, and Grod along with Zoug to guard the group camping near the cave. He didn't want Brun along judging him for the choices he made. He was beginning to feel like Brun questioned everything he did, even if he didn't say anything, he looked disappointed.</p><p>While he had no choice but to bring Berc and Vek along, he wasn't exactly happy about it. Berc was the one who had suggested the area to look for the cave. And that galled Broud that someone else might get credit for the cave besides him. But he drew the line at bringing their women and future mates. He didn't want them bringing bad luck to the hunt. Oda had given birth to a deformed brat after all. He almost hoped her new one would also be deformed so he could have the pleasure of denying her and Vek's request if they begged for it's life. And that red-headed child of Orma's just wasn't normal. Another harbinger of bad luck if you asked him.</p><p>They attempted to lure a single rhino away from a small group of them that were near herds of different animals. Many of the men wondered if it would not have been more wise to try to hunt another kind of animal. But Broud was determined to have his way. He considered it a good sign from his totem.</p><p>Broud had placed himself near to the end when the animal should be tired and would be ready for him to spear it. It was unlucky that it was a younger rhino that started running the way that was wanted rather than an older animal that would tire more easily. As a result, when it got to where Broud was in the best position to kill it, it showed its unpredictable nature and turned on him, ready to gore him. Berc shouted and got it's attention, and drew it in another direction. But the animal's energy was mostly spent by then and as Berc chased it near where Vek was waiting Vek speared it with his left arm. As it turned out, the position that the animal was in he might not have been able to have hit the right spot if he had been using his right.</p><p>Broud was furious that someone besides him made the kill especially these newcomers, but for once he realized that if he said anything it would be too much. They had to have the cave and he did owe the 2 new hunters his life. But he couldn't hide his feelings very well, they showed in his body language. The newer members of the group wondered why he was acting that way and thought he was incredibly rude. But for better or worse they had thrown in their lot with this group.</p><p>Later on, after they women had butchered the animal and had it drying. The women had prepared the evening meal for the men. The men were taking turns at guarding the perimeter against scavengers. Vek was excited about the day and he wished Oda was with him because he would really like to relieve his needs. He was bashful because he felt his scars made him ugly, but Oda didn't mind even though she had only known him a short time. She said it was because she saw how hard it was for her daughter being different. Vek's heart went out to the little girl. But his scars made him think that other women found him ugly.</p><p>Berc walked up. He knew what his young friend was thinking. "I can tell what you're thinking Vek", he motioned, "You should ask Ovra, Goov already told me it was alright with him when he was telling me about this group. I was with her once a few days ago. But never ask Broud for Oga, he won't like it".</p><p>So, Vek approached Ovra was working nearby and shyly made the signal.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The clan had settled into their new cave. A couple of moons after they moved in, Ovra came to see Uba while she was putting some of her collected medicinal plants up on the drying rack. She signed a greeting and said, "Uba, there's something I need to tell you. I think I'm expecting again. I've missed my moon time twice now".</p><p>Uba looked around to make sure no one was watching what they were saying, "I thought you were taking...."?</p><p>"I was", Ovra interrupted, "But I ran out of it and with everything that's happened, I forgot to come to you and get some more".</p><p>Uba sighed, "I failed you, I should have made sure you had some. I'm sorry Ovra, but I had better prepare something to make you lose it. It's good you're not too far along.....</p><p>Ovra interrupted, "No, Uba, you misunderstand, I don't want to lose it. I've got a feeling this is my last chance to have a child and I want to go ahead with the pregnancy".</p><p>"Ovra", Uba scolded, "You know the last time you had a late stage miscarriage it almost killed you. Why put yourself through that again"?</p><p>Ovra said, "I know all that, but I found a sign from my totem and I truly believe it will be alright this time".</p><p>Uba shook her head and said, "Very well, I will speak to Broud about seeing if we can reduce your workload. He might not be inclined to grant it".</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here is a list of characters, a hearth listing. Any female character with this symbol (*) beside her name is pregnant.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Broud- leader<br/>Oga*<br/>Brac<br/>Grev</p><p>Vorn- second in command<br/>Uba*- medicine woman<br/>Durc</p><p>Goov- Mogur<br/>Ovra*</p><p>Droog- clan toolmaker<br/>Aga*<br/>Groob<br/>Aba- mother of Aga</p><p>Crug<br/>Ika<br/>Igra<br/>Dorg</p><p>Borg<br/>Ona*</p><p>Berc<br/>Orma<br/>Grun<br/>Uta<br/>Oba</p><p>Vek<br/>Oda*<br/>Ura</p><p>Brun- former leader<br/>Ebra</p><p>Grod- former second<br/>Uka<br/>Zoug- oldest clan member, mate of Grod's late mother</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Uba walked over to where Broud was sitting and talking to some of the men. She lowered herself to the ground and waited patiently for him to tap her shoulder. When he did, she started speaking, "The medicine woman would report that Ovra has come to me and told me she was pregnant. Given her history, I would request her workload be decreased. Specifically going on hunts and carrying heavy loads of meat. It may help prevent a miscarriage".</p><p>Broud looked displeased and said, "No, it's never kept her from losing the baby before, why should it now? We have enough women in the clan now who are soon going to be not able to work at full capacity when they are farther along. I will make no changes".</p><p>When he saw that Uba had not left, he said, "Was there something else"?</p><p>Uba replied, "I beg you to reconsider. Another miscarriage could kill her".</p><p>Broud stood up and got right in her face, "Are you defying me, woman"?</p><p>Uba trembled but replied, "I am telling you what needs to be done for her in my capacity as a medicine woman".</p><p>He drew back his fist and hit her on the shoulder, he didn't see that Vorn was about to grab him. But Goov stopped Vorn.</p><p>Then Goov said, "Broud, I beg you to reconsider. Ovra is fine hardworking woman and always has been. I care deeply for her and I know how much she wants a child of her own. But I don't want to lose her. I will go on all the hunts even with my Mog-Ur duties, and then there will be more men and we can carry the kill home tied to our spears. Oga is pregnant too, this might help keep her healthy as well".</p><p>He turned to Uba and said, "Isn't it true that Oga's still experiencing sickness"?</p><p>Uba signed, "Yes, it's true. She is still having all day nausea and getting tired very quickly".</p><p>Uba didn't add that every single woman including Oga was still keeping up with their duties like they had always done.</p><p>Broud said, "Very well. We will carry the kills home on our spears. But we are going to have to go out more often. We have to not only hunt for our day to day needs, but start stockpiling for winter when it comes again. And no woman is going to shirk their duties here at the cave".</p><p>He had noticed Oga was still not feeling well but had not given it any thought.</p><p>Uba left and went back to her own part of the cave to put a poultice on her bruised shoulder. The rest of the men dispersed except for Goov. Broud noticed that Vorn looked displeased about something. He couldn't imagine why.</p><p>Goov started speaking again, "Thank you for reconsidering. Children are the future of the clan, but we can't have them without the women".</p><p>Goov then changed subjects, "Remember I told you earlier that there's something else I need to speak to you about. I'm going to start training an acolyte. I've sat down and talked with and tested all of the boys. You're not going to like this, but there's only one of them that had the least bit of understanding of the things I'm going to have to teach them. I am speaking of Durc of course".</p><p>Broud started shaking his head, "No, absolutely not. We can't have that deformed brat as a future Mog-Ur. Imagine what it would do to our standing with the other clans at the next gathering".</p><p>Goov sighed and said, "It didn't hurt anything about our standing because Creb was deformed. He was the greatest Mog-Ur in the history of the clan. Listen, Broud, I have to train my successor and Durc is the only possible candidate. If it makes you feel better, him being Mog-Ur will prevent him from going on some of the hunts after he becomes a man.</p><p>Broud looked like it physically pained him to to say what he did, "All right. I just hope you live longer than I do so I don't have to be around when he's Mog-Ur".</p><p>Goov said, without a hint of humor, but a bit of resignation, "I will do my best to out-live you Broud".<br/>.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Uba had just returned to her hearth after delivering Aga's beautiful new baby girl. Despite the fact that Aga was one of the oldest of the women still in her childbearing age (Ebra, Uka and Aba being too old to conceive) she had done remarkably well. The pregnancy was uneventful and there had been no complications during the delivery. Uba had been nervous for some reason when she reported the birth to Broud. Everyone felt like he was going to explode over the least little thing. But he had went and inspected the child and announced if she lived until her naming day she would accepted into the clan. For some reason he felt the need to snidely tell Droog that he felt sorry for him that this child was a girl since he was sure that his mate Oga would be having another boy.</p><p>Thinking about Oga made Uba start to worry. Oga was still experiencing all day nausea. She was losing some weight even though the baby continued to grow. Ebra tried to help her by looking after the children as much as possible. Just like Uka (with Grod and Goov's permission) was helping reduce Ovra's workload by either having Ovra and Goov eat at her and Grod's hearth or bringing them a prepared meal. Ovra seemed to be doing remarkably well though so far. She was fairly glowing with health.</p><p>The men were going out hunting every day and brought the kills home tied their spears. Despite his age Zoug was stepping up the training for the boys in sling hunting. Even for Durc who was the youngest. They almost always managed to bring home some small kills which helped out because more of the larger kills could be dried for storage. When Durc brought home his first small kill (a giant hamster), Uba felt like she could just burst from pride for her adopted son. Brun and Grod had managed a few times to get smaller deer with the bola near the cave which also helped out.</p><p>Yes, it seemed like things were going well. As long as everyone let Broud think he was getting his own way in everything. But everyone's nerves were strained from having to always make sure they were not going to set him off. Vorn had been so tense after Broud had hit her again. Uba could not shake the feeling that something was about to happen.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>The day of the baby's naming ceremony dawned. Aga held the girl child up. Goov painted the markings with the red ochre paste and said, "This girl's name is Ayla".</p><p>Everyone held their breath waiting for the expected explosion. Broud didn't keep them waiting long. "You are not naming her after that person. That person was cursed with death. You will bring bad luck on this clan. I forbid it"!</p><p>Goov said, "It's not your place as leader to forbid what a man names his mate's children. Droog came to me and requested she be named this to honor the woman who saved Ona from drowning all those years ago."</p><p>Broud was becoming more irate and said to Droog and Aga, "I said no. If you don't change the name I will order you to dispose of the child"!</p><p>Goov told Broud, "You have already accepted her. You said if she lived to her naming day she would be accepted as our customs dictate. What her name is does not matter. She is already accepted".</p><p>Broud said, "If you don't get rid of it, I will"! And then he started to make a grab for the child.</p><p>Aga clutched her baby close to her breast and screamed. Droog started to charge Broud. It took about 4 of the men to hold Broud still.</p><p>Brun walked up to him and tore the symbol of leadership from the thong around his neck and said, "You are no longer leader because we have no choice but to renounce a leader who would act like this. Tie him up until we decide what to do with him and about the leadership".</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Broud was still struggling against the restraints they had tied him with. One good thing was with his hands tied he couldn't fully articulate what he was wanting to say. Everyone could imagine it was not complimentary to any of them. He was so angry it looked like the veins in his neck were going to burst. So Brun had Uba mix up a sleeping medicine. When he closed his mouth and refused to drink it, Brun ordered 2 of the men to hold him and they forced it down his throat. He finally stopped struggling and slept.</p><p>Brun called all the men to the back of the cave where there was some empty space to talk about what to do. Berc now viewed Brun as the leader so he asked to speak and said, "What was that all about? I have to say, I don't feel that my family is safe here. When a leader would make such a fuss over what a child is named".</p><p>Brun sighed heavily, "You probably had not heard this story as Broud had forbidden anyone to speak of the specific details of it. Aga's new daughter was named after Ayla, who was our former First Medicine Woman and Durc's birth mother. You have been told she died, but what actually happened was that Broud ordered her cursed with death on the day he became leader".</p><p>Berc looked shocked and said, "That is a very serious thing to do. What offense could she have possibly committed to warrant it"?</p><p>"Actually", Brun signed, "She didn't do anything to warrant it. I have to back up a bit and tell you a long story from the beginning. Many turnings of the seasons ago, a few moons before Uba was born we were left homeless by another earthquake. We had been travelling and searching for a while. One day our medicine woman, my late sibling Iza who was pregnant with Uba. She found a half dead girl child of the Others along the trail. I let her take the child with her so she could treat her. The child was starved, dehydrated and sick from infection from cave lion scratches on her leg. Iza was able to heal her. This girl was of course Ayla. I let Iza adopt her and train her and they lived at the hearth of my brother Creb who was Mog-Ur. The spirit of the cave lion had marked her himself, it was her totem. It led her to teach herself to hunt with a sling. If she hadn't done so, Brac would have been carried off by a hyena when he was a small child. I gave her a temporary death curse as punishment for touching a weapon but she survived it".</p><p>Brun continued, "From the very first, Broud resented Ayla. It's like her very existence drew attention away from him. And apparently that's all that has ever mattered to him. Creb and I were told the stories of a man of the Others who stayed with our clan once. The Others are very different. Their men and women had equal standing. So even though Ayla didn't consciously recall her people and family of birth, she was going against her very nature by adapting to our ways according to Creb. But she couldn't always hide the way she really felt. She tried, but Broud used every excuse to punish her for the slightest infraction. I thought Broud had matured and gotten over this petty feud. But right after he was made leader I could see that he had not. He said she would be his second woman. But he made her give her son Durc to Uba and Vorn".</p><p>Vorn hung his head in shame when Brun said that.</p><p>"And then", Brun signed, "Broud said Creb had to move to the coldest part of the cave. Ayla said such a thing might kill Creb. She stood up to Broud and he ordered her cursed for insolence. Creb went back into the cave and was killed when the quake started and the rocks fell. Broud made Goov set the stones for the curse. Ayla left, but not before telling Broud that he couldn't make her die and asking me to protect Durc".</p><p>Goov picked up the narrative, "Brun, I'm going to tell the men what I've discovered since Broud is indisposed at he moment. When I went back into the cave to get my ceremonial items. The bones used to set the curse were crushed by a fallen rock, the curse is broken".</p><p>All of the men were shocked and it showed on their faces.</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vorn spoke up, "Does that mean we have to go find her and tell her she can come back"?</p><p>Brun shook his head sadly, "All we know is she went North, toward the Others. We don't know exactly where. And we can't just go wandering around in Others' territory. As much as it pains me to say the only way I see that we could get her back is if she came back on her own. Now we need to talk about who will lead this clan. I took back the leadership from Broud because it is obvious he's not fit to lead. But that can only be a temporary solution. I am already old. I'm really too old to go on the major hunts now and that's why I haven't been. I suppose I could push myself if I had too. But we have to find a long term solution".</p><p>Brun turned to Vorn and said, "Vorn do you feel ready to step up and become leader? I will help you in anyway I can".</p><p>Vorn shook his head, "No Brun, I'm not ready to lead. I'm not even fit to be second after I let Broud coerce me into taking Durc to my hearth. I realize now that he only did it to hurt Ayla. Growing up, I always looked up to Broud, but I was blind to his faults. When he praised me, I realized now he was only doing it because he wanted things from me. Perhaps he made me second because he knew I would go along with everything he wanted to do. Where someone older and wiser would know better. I am finished".</p><p>Berc signed his desire to speak, "Brun, is it possible that you could appoint someone to lead in your stead on the hunts. You would still make the major decisions about the clan until Brac is ready to take over. I realize that might be many years though".</p><p>Brun said, "I'm afraid it would be too many years. It will be many turnings of the seasons before Brac is old enough. And we would have to make sure that he won't start acting like Broud if he does end up becoming leader eventually. So far he hasn't shown those signs. But Berc, what about you. You have had many good suggestions. You were more or less leading your small group. I think you have leadership potential".</p><p>Berc answered, "My mother was mated to the second in command of the the cave I was born to. But I was the younger son, born between my elder brother and Oda. So my brother was next in line to be second. A mating was arranged for me and my last mate, Grun's mother. If you recall me telling you she was the younger medicine woman of the clan that Vek and his family came from. But I still have memories for being second".</p><p>"You are the best option", Brun stated, "If the son of Grod's mate had lived, I would have asked him. And maybe memories are not always enough. I questioned Broud when he was growing up to see what he would do in situations. And he always had the right answer. But when it came to putting it into practice, it's like a bad spirit took him over and made him only think of what was best for him and not what was best for the clan. So will you do it Berc? I want you to take Oga as a second woman, that way Brac will be the eldest son of your hearth. And if it is discovered that he cannot be leader, you still have Grun. But train all three boys".</p><p>Berc nodded his assent.</p><p>Brun looked pleased but also very serious and continued, "And now, we must decide what to do about Broud".</p><p>Brun said, "But before we begin discussing Broud's situation. I want to know if there are any objections to Berc becoming hunt leader and eventually leader of the clan"?</p><p>Grod signed, "I don't exactly have an objection. We don't know Berc all that well yet. But let's use this time when he is hunt leader to get to know how he will deal with things. Also, Berc, if you do become leader, will you retain Vorn as your second"?</p><p>Berc looked at Vorn, "Are you up to task of being second Vorn"?</p><p>Vorn shook his head, "I don't believe I am, but I will of course stay with it you need me to. But as of right now, I would say you are second to Brun as well as hunt leader. But perhaps you might consider Crug as your second. He's more mature than me but not an old man. Brun let him lead a few hunts before Broud was made leader. He's a steady dependable man. But as you no doubt noticed since you've been with us, Broud never let anyone but himself lead the hunts".</p><p>Crug looked pleased that Vorn spoke so well of him.</p><p>Berc said, "Let's just do as Grod said and use this time to get to know each other's strength's and weaknesses''.</p><p>Brun signed, "Now about Broud".</p><p>"Zoug would speak", the old man signed. When Brun nodded, he continued, "Broud, in my opinion has more or less always acted like a child in a man's body. So let's treat him like a child, even better, like a woman since he doesn't have a clue how to be a man". Zoug thought to himself that he had never forgotten or forgiven how Broud had shoved him to the ground all those years ago and made light of his skill with the sling. Plus he gave Zoug's best pupil a death curse. Zoug did consider the elder Ayla his best pupil even though he didn't formally train her. Zoug thought how he would have mated the tall homely woman himself if he hadn't been so ancient. He was a good bit older than Creb had been. He couldn't go on major hunts because of his age and he didn't think he could relieve his needs with a woman anymore if he tried. He wasn't even sure he had needs anymore.</p><p>Brun said, "It's a good idea. If there are no objections we will tell him when he wakes up".</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Brun ordered Broud untied as he started to wake up. Brun wanted to be sure Broud could talk and he couldn't with his hands tied. But he made sure several men had their spears pointed at them.</p><p>Broud started gesticulating angrily, "All of you are a bunch of traitorous hyenas. Just wait until I get my hands on the lot of you".</p><p>Brun sternly said, "That is enough Broud. You have proven yourself incapable of acting like a man so your punishment is that you no longer are a man. I guess we will have to start all over with you and discipline you like a willful child. This is what's going to happen. You are no longer leader and you never will be again. You are no longer a hunter. You may carry a sling to defend yourself from smaller predators with, so you better start learning to use it correctly. What you will be doing from now on is gathering wood, carrying water, any kind of work that does not include female memories. You will carry part of the meat home from hunts. Since you are stronger than the women, you can carry more than them and they will be able to walk faster. You are no longer allowed to order anyone around or discipline them or relieve your needs with the women. The women can order you around. No one will cook for you unless you perform your duties. So you better perform them. You will live alone in the back of the cave and you will start your own fire. Berc will now be my heir and I am giving Oga to him as second woman so there will be a slight chance that Brac can still become leader despite your complete unfitness".</p><p>Broud sneered, "I knew Berc was trying to take over when he showed up. He was just waiting for a chance......".</p><p>"Enough", Brun roared, "You have no self control. You only think of yourself even when you know what it is you should do that is best for this clan. That is why you cannot be leader. I've obviously failed you by not figuring out you were like this. I wonder if you have a bad spirit in you. Now, back to your punishment. You are not allowed to use a spear or any weapon other than the sling. If you deliberately try to hurt someone like you did yesterday, I will have no choice but to curse you. I don't want to have to do that Broud".</p><p>Broud now looked more puzzled than angry now, "What did I ever do that was so bad Brun? I had to keep that insolent female in her place. She would have spread her evil changes throughout the clan if I didn't beat it out of her. Can't any of you see she was a threat to our way of life"?</p><p>Goov stepped in, "She never did anything that hurt our clan. She saved the son of your mate from a hyena or can't you remember that. She was merely different. She tried, but you would never let up".</p><p>Brun sighed and said, "I have spoken Broud, this is your punishment. You will either accept it or you will starve to death or you will try to hurt someone and I will curse you. Now get up and start working".</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the time being, Brun decided that it would be prudent to have someone stand guard until it was seen whether Broud was going to comply or not. The men took rotating shifts. The only place he was allowed to go at night was to the night basket. And he had to empty everyone's night baskets out every morning.</p><p>And so began Broud's worst nightmare. From dawn until dusk he was gathering wood, hauling water, going on the hunts but not allowed to do anything but carry the heaviest of the loads. It was absolutely humiliating. And truthfully, it seemed like some of the men were enjoying his misfortune. Old Zoug looked especially pleased and smug. And one morning when Berc was planning the next hunt, Crug said, "You are going to bring some of the women along aren't you Berc, so we can relieve our needs. Because I'm sure I wouldn't consider Broud for that". Broud was so mad when he heard that and saw the humor in everyone's eyes that he literally threw the load of wood down he had just carried in. A stern look from Brun stopped him from exploding in anger.</p><p>Brun had told the women they could order Broud to perform tasks for them, but warned them not to take it too far and not to think they could treat the other men like that. And he told them that a differerent one of them each day would have food prepared for him if and when he completed all of his tasks.</p><p>Ebra was so ashamed. Of Broud and of herself. For giving into his every whim when he was a child when it was obvious she was not going to have anymore children after him. She had one daughter that was born weak and had died before her naming day. Another boy had been stillborn. And then miscarriages until she finally stopped conceiving. She had wondered if Iza had been giving her something. She was ashamed that Broud may have picked up on the resentment that she wasn't the highest ranked woman and had taken it to heart. Over the years watching Broud grow up and how he had treated the elder Ayla, she had wondered if Broud had a bad spirit inside him. He acted much like her sibling Verm, who had been Iza's mate.</p><p>The first time Broud had encountered Oga at Berc's hearth when he brought in firewood, he said, "You're my mate Oga, don't you dare forget that. Gather your children and our belongings and we will leave here and find another clan where they do things like they are supposed to be".</p><p>Oga, who still didn't seem well gave him a look that was both sad and angry and said, "No Broud, I'm not your mate and I will not be again unless Brun orders it or Berc after he becomes leader. As soon as time can be spared for a mating isolation, I will be given to Berc as a second woman. Now, please leave me alone and finish your work".</p><p>This was the moment it really hit home to Broud the misfortune he had brought on himself. But like always he immediately started blaming others.</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Now for a little non-Broud happenings. But he's still lurking in the background. The results of his "bad spirit" are still being felt.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Goov announced baby Ayla's totem, "This girl Ayla is delivered into the protection of the Tortoise".</p><p>Everyone standing around had a bemused and slightly puzzled expression on their faces. It was a nice gentle totem to be sure. But were the spirits saying they wanted her to be slow? Goov said, "The spirit of the Tortoise does not want her to be slow, but rather to be well protected". Everyone then nodded in understanding and tried not to cast disapproving glances at Broud. Some were not successful.</p><p>After the totem ceremony, Berc came up and started talking to Goov and Brun, "I was wondering when we should have the formal mating ceremony between Oga and myself. I don't know if we should have a mating isolation during the hunting season. We will have many new children eventually so we have to make sure we have enough before winter so the mothers will make enough milk for their children. But Oga needs to be mated when the child is born. Also we are already down one hunter because Broud is not allowed. I don't want to say I feel overwhelmed exactly, but I will soon officially have 2 women and many children at my hearth. And then another when you count the one that Oga will have.</p><p>Brun said, "Don't worry. I will make sure you receive the portion that Broud would have received if he was hunting for Oga and her children to live on. Also, we should go ahead and have the mating. You can appoint someone as temporary hunt leader in your absence. Just because you are hunt leader doesn't mean you can't appoint someone to help".</p><p>Broud saw what was being said. He couldn't believe he was actually going to really lose Oga to that interloper.</p><p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>I like to think of Brun's idea as court appointed child support.</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Broud lost all sense of reason when it was announced that there would be a formal mating ceremony between Berc and Oga the next day. When he was out collecting wood he found the thigh bone of a large animal. He decided that he would wait for the right moment to grab her when she and the women were out gathering edible plants. She was finally feeling some better. Broud was so far into his delusional thought processes that he didn't realize he couldn't get very far and that the other women would call for help.</p><p>He passed by where Oga, Orma and Oda were gathering. He put down the load of wood he had gathered and removed the bone club that he had hid among it. He then quickly grabbed Oga and started dragging her away forcibly. She screamed to be let go and struggled to free herself. Orma and Oda screamed for help.</p><p>The men ran up and managed to subdue him by hitting him, knocking him out. Oga didn't seem to be hurt. Brun called for a meeting of the men to decide what to do with Broud.</p><p>Brun started out by saying, "It's beginning to look like I might have to death curse him. I don't want to have to do that because of the bad luck it could bring on all of us. But what if there's no other way".</p><p>Grod motioned to speak, "How do we know his spirit would even leave us alone"?</p><p>Droog added, "Yes he might continue to stay where we are and snatch Oga or any of the women and children to the spirit world".</p><p>Goov spoke up, "There might be another way. There is a ceremony that Creb told me about. I've never seen it done and Creb never had to perform it himself. And I'm not the Mogur that Creb was. But there is a memory of someone seeing the Mogur before Creb perform the ceremony. It will require that Uba make us the sacred root drink. This will be a first for her. While the minds of the men are connected, we have to use our combined will to force the bad spirit from his mind. It's very dangerous for him, it could kill him. But unless we do death curse him, I see no other alternative".</p><p>All of the men except Berc and Vek looked into their memories and realized that their ancestors had seen this ceremony done. Because they were from a different cave where it had not been done. Brun asked if their were any objections, there were none.</p><p>He then went and told Uba to make ready for the ceremony.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Uba appeared with the sacred markings that Goov had painted on her body. The clan could not help but be reminded of the ceremony when they moved into their previous cave and Iza had prepared the drink. Uba was even pregnant like her mother had been. She had never prepared the sacred root drink before. But it was in her memories. Iza had told her and Ayla how to prepare it. And she had seen Ayla prepare it at the last clan gathering. This was not a joyous occasion like the ones before. There was a real chance that this could kill Broud. Or barring that, it wouldn't work and they would have to death curse him.</p><p>Since she had a clan jaw, she didn't have the same problems chewing the roots as Ayla did. When it was finished she handed the bowl to Goov. This time there was not an exchange of a bowl of datura. The women would not have their own ceremony where they let loose their inhibitions. If this ceremony damaged Broud physically or affected the men trying to help him, Uba's skill as the medicine woman would be needed.</p><p>Once again, they had to force the liquid down his throat when they had taken him back to the chamber where they men held their ceremonies. The men banged the ends of their spears against the ground to make a rhythm. Between the drink and the sound they were drawn into the spirit world. They saw his spirit as an angry rhino that kept blindly running into things and destroying things. In the spirit world they used their collective will to try to calm this bad spirit down.</p><p>Goov's spirit said, "Broud, why do you rage against everything. Even your own memories which are there to show us how to live. If the memories don't suit you, you don't follow them. It's an aberration Broud. Why do you hold such a grudge against Ayla that you want to destroy everything connected to her, even a child that shares her name"?</p><p>Broud's spirit answered, "Don't any of the rest of you see it? The Others will destroy us. We were here first. But they come into our lands and our women have deformed children when Others have been around them. When she was here, you never knew what she was going to do next. She was a threat to our old ways. Just like all Others are".</p><p>Brun' spirit said, "Broud, we've all had those fears. But we can't let them control us to the point where we don't do what is right. It's not right for you to harm a child for what her name is. It's not right for you to push an old man to the ground because he can do something better than you. It's not right for you to take a child from his mother. And it's not right for you to call down the evil spirits to curse someone because you relegated the man of their hearth to the coldest part of the cave. You cannot be allowed to go on like this. You are becoming a danger to this clan. That's what is most important. The good of the clan outweighs your whims. And you only think of yourself".</p><p>And then the men with their minds started pushing into Broud's mind and crowded out the angry spirit. It tried to get around them, but ultimately could not. When it was finally pushed from his mind. Broud clutched his head and screamed. He collapsed where he was sitting. They saw he was unconscious and blood was trickling out of his nose.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Broud started to regain consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked up into a face that seemed familiar to him. He said in a small voice, "Iza, is that you"?</p><p>The woman looking down on him seemed surprised and said, "No Broud, I'm not Iza, I'm her daughter Uba. Don't you remember"?</p><p>He blinked and said, "Iza doesn't have a daughter or any children".</p><p>She noticed that his hand movements seemed childlike. He then looked over at Ebra and Brun who were looking down on him with worried faces. He said, "Mother, Brun why do you look different"?</p><p>Ebra answered, "How do we look different, son"?</p><p>He said, "You both look older, you have grey in your hair".</p><p>Uba asked him, "Broud, what is the last thing you remember? How old are you"?</p><p>He started sitting up and shook his head as if to clear it, "I'm just past my weaning year aren't I? And I remember you had just had a baby mother, but she died. Isn't that right"?</p><p>Then he really started to look at his hands when he was signing. Seeing that they looked like adult hands. He reached up and touched the beard on his face. He started to feel panicked and said, "What's going on"?</p><p>The 3 of them and Goov who had just come over looked at each other. Finally Goov said, "Broud, it appears you have lost many years of your memories. You actually have been an adult for many years now. But you had a bad spirit inside your mind. We had a ceremony to drive it out. But it appears it has taken a lot of your memory with it. And put you back to your childhood. Except your body cannot be a child again".</p><p>"A bad spirit. Did I do something bad"?, Broud asked. Then he looked puzzled and looked back up at Goov and said, "Who are you"?</p><p>"I am Goov", the young Mogur stated. "Just like you, I grew up. I know it's hard to believe. Except you have lost your memory of many years".</p><p>Goov then turned to Uba and said, "Do you know anything that might be able to be done for him"?</p><p>She answered, "I've never heard of such a thing and it's not in my memories either".</p><p>Goov took Brun and Ebra aside and said, "This is an unexpected happening. It might be for the best. He has no memory of Ayla or any of the stuff he did. And if I recall correctly a lot of his personality problems started when he was about the age he thinks he is now. I don't know if he will stay at this age in his mind or if he will become an adult mentally again or not. He will have to be looked after in any case".</p><p>Neither Goov nor Uba could say for sure if Broud was going to remain the same as he was. Childlike in the mind but with an adult body. With his memories only going until just past his weaning year. Goov told Brun and Ebra to be patient and understanding with him. But not to cater to his whims. To let him know that certain behaviors were not acceptable. So far no one had brought up the elder Ayla to him. And he hadn't overheard anything. But Goov thought it would be best to tell him if he asked. Since he still had the strength of an adult and was otherwise physically healthy, it was decided he could help with the chores like he had been doing for his punishment.</p><p>The rest of the clan was somewhat wary of him. Aga was very nervous around him because of her baby. Droog gave him a few glares. Brac wanted nothing to do with him. He felt like the former man of his hearth was nothing but an embarrassment. Oga was relieved to be officially mated to Berc now. It was a crowded hearth. But Orma had asked permission to make a suggestion. To use a natural outcrop of rock that extended a couple of feet about half way the width of the hearth. To use that as a sort of partition and let it be Orma's side of the hearth and Oga's side. It made it sort of feel like she still had her own hearth and and Berc could sleep with whomever he chose. It had taken a lot of the stress off of Oga. She had finally gotten over the nausea. But something about this pregnancy still felt off.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>A sad happening, Aga's mother Aba had passed. It was the first death to happen in this new cave. She had been the oldest woman in Brun's clan. She had collapsed while out gathering with the other women. Experiencing pain in her chest and left arm. Uba had treated her with medicines to help her heart, but it was too late. She kept getting weaker and weaker. Aba was the first patient Uba had lost to death. Aba had told her before the end not to take it so hard and that she was a good medicine woman. And Aba said that Uba reminded her of Iza and Iza's mother Oza, whose sibling had been Aba's mate Norv.</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Goov took some time to start teaching Durc some of the things he would have to know as a MogUr. He was explaining counting to him. Most of the clan could only count to 3. But Durc picked up right away the concept you could count to five and then ten using his fingers. He then surprised Goov by counting his 10 toes.</p><p>The little boy was very pleased with himself and said, "Look Goov, I can count 2 tens".</p><p>Goov told him that 20 was usually the highest MogUrs could count, but only then with difficulty. So Goov was very pleased that Durc seemed to have a good understanding of this right away.</p><p>Later on, they were walking along the river bank. Durc picked up a very small rock that looked interesting. He turned it over and saw an interesting pattern on one side of it.</p><p>Durc asked, "Why does this small piece of stone look like it has a pattern like a tortoise shell on the back"?</p><p>Goov answered, "It was a piece of a tortoise shell once, but it is so old that it is turned to stone. I like to think that it left it's spirit in the stone".</p><p>Durc looked like he puzzling something out then asked, "Do you think it would be a good idea for me to give this to Aga to put in little Ayla's amulet pouch? Maybe it could help the spirit of tortoise to protect her. I want to help protect her because she's named after my Mama and because children should always be protected".</p><p>"I think that's a very original and thoughtful idea for my young acolyte to have", Goov said proudly. He then continued, "You have to observe your people and the world around you and many times, what you need to do for them will reveal itself to you".</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know it doesn't sound like a great idea to give a rock to a baby. But even as infants they already had a pouch around their neck with some kind of stone in it. And I think there is a mention of baby Groob playing with rocks.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Brun and Goov were outside talking. Uba came up and had given Brun his daily medicinal tea because he was starting to get arthritis. Broud joined them with the water skin they had instructed him to get for them. Broud saw the strange looking little boy. He had been told that the boy was Uba's son Durc and that another woman in the cave had a girl child that looked similar. But this was the first time he had seen the boy so closely and he was staring. Durc did not like to be stared at, especially by the person who had treated him hatefully his whole life and he was scowling. He had been told that Broud was in some ways like a child now and couldn't remember the past, but he didn't care.</p><p>Broud asked, "Uba why does your son look so strange"?</p><p>Goov said, "He was born looking that way Broud. He was born with a deformity of the way his head looks. But it hasn't affected him in any other way. He's a fast runner and doing very well at learning to use the sling. And he's my acolyte".</p><p>Broud looked at Durc and said, "Are you mad at me"?</p><p>Durc couldn't stand it anymore, "Yes. You told me my whole life I'm ugly and deformed and you made my mother go away"! Uba motioned him to be quiet but it was already said. She signed an apology to men for Durc's outburst, hoping they wouldn't think she was being remiss in teaching Durc good manners. She asked them if it was all right to leave and she took Durc with her.</p><p>"What did he mean I made his mother go away? Isn't Uba his mother"?, Broud asked.</p><p>Brun motioned Broud to sit down and started speaking, "It's a long story Broud. So I won't go into every detail. The old cave we used to live in when you were a boy was destroyed by an earthquake a few months before Iza gave birth to Uba. We were traveling to find a new cave. Iza found a girl child of the Others who was sick, injured and near death on the trail. She had been injured by a cave lion. Iza healed her and I let Iza adopt her. Her name was Ayla. Like Aga's new baby. I let Iza, Ayla and Uba when she was born stay at Creb's hearth when we found a new cave and gave him his full MogUr's share. And Iza trained Ayla and Uba both to be medicine women.</p><p>You seemed to have an irrational hatred of Ayla right from the start. She was of the Others and many times it was hard for her to conform to our ways. But you always wanted to punish her for every single infraction. I didn't interfere until you nearly beat her to death once. I let her get away with trying your patience hoping it would teach you self control. She gave birth to Durc and I allowed him to live. I thought everything had taught you self control. But the bad spirit in you only made you seem like you were mature enough to lead. But the first thing you did when you became leader was take Durc away from her. Then you said Creb had to go to the coldest part of the cave. She stood up to you as a medicine woman. And you ordered Goov to death cursed her for insolence".</p><p>Goov took over, "The ground started shaking again. Creb was killed because he went back into the cave. You ordered again the death curse. Much to my shame, I obeyed. And so her spirit left. Although she talked back to you and told you she wasn't really dead. You ordered that no one was to mention her again. When Aga's baby was born and had already been accepted. She was named Ayla to honor an old promise, a debt of gratitude. You ordered them to get rid of the child. When I told you that you couldn't you tried to grab the child to dispose of her yourself. Brun took back the leadership. We tried punishing you but you tried to hurt someone again. We feared using a death curse on you. So we did a ceremony to drive the evil spirit out. We hope you can become an adult in your mind again. But everyone remembers and they fear you will become like that again. This is a lot of harsh truth for you to hear Broud all at once since you are in many ways like a child in your mind. But perhaps it's better coming from us.</p><p>Broud hung his head in shame. No wonder everyone was afraid of him. He couldn't remember Brun ever acting like that when we was leader. Of course he only had the memories of his early life. Everything else was still blank.</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The seasons continued to pass. The clan had managed to store enough food for the coming winter. There had been no more deaths so far after Aba. Broud still had not regained his memory but he was slowly relearning things he had known before. Berc continued to lead the hunts. And he would until shortly before the next clan gathering at which time Brun would officially make him leader. Unless something happened to Brun before then. He decided not to make a hasty decision as to whether Crug or Vorn would be his second. Crug was a good hunter but he was not always open to new ideas. Vorn had lost some confidence over the betrayal of Broud using him but he was slowly regaining it.</p><p>A new baby had been born. As Oga was entering the last couple of weeks of her term, she had started having swelling of the feet and ankles. Uba gave her medicine to draw off the fluid and put her on bed rest. It helped some but not as much as Uba would have liked. She told Oga it would be best if they induced labor. The labor was long and difficult but eventually Oga's daughter was born healthy. It was close enough to her term that it would not hurt the baby. There were a few tense moments when it seemed like the bleeding from the delivery was not going to stop, but eventually it did.</p><p>Brun examined the child and pronounced that she would be accepted if she lived to her naming day. Berc had asked Oga if she would like to suggest any names and she had told him Ima, for her mother if it was a girl. And Dorn for the man of her hearth if it was a boy. So little Ima it was. Goov found her totem quite early. While he was meditating on it, he kept seeing an image of a bat flying like the ones that lived in the cave. So shortly after her naming ceremony, there was a totem ceremony for little Ima, where she was pronounced protected by the spirit of the bat.</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Brun had the thought that every corner of the cave was filled with the sound of babies crying. Shortly after Oga gave birth to Ima, both Oda and Ona had gave birth to sons. Luckily for Uba's sake they had not happened on the same day. Since she was almost full term herself and it appeared her baby would be very big. Then a few days later Uba gave birth to twin daughters. Brun didn't know what to think of two born at the same time. But both girls were healthy. As were the 2 boys and all of them survived until their naming day. Brun had the amused thought that Goov was going to be very busy with naming ceremonies and totem ceremonies for time being. And then one more time this winter as long as Ovra carried her child to term. Everyone was cautiously optimistic that she would be able to have a living child. Because so far she had not had problems as she had always had before with pregnancies.</p><p>Broud continued to live at Brun and Ebra's hearth. Brun kept him busy helping everyone with their work and making sure he was retraining to hunt and other tasks he would have to learn. Broud had been very subdued after they had told him of all the bad things he had done before the ceremony that had taken his memory along with the bad spirit in him. If Broud ever became an adult completely in his mind again, Brun supposed he would have to see about finding him a mate from an other cave. He would not give him Oga again because he wanted to make sure her sons were still eligible for the leadership if they proved to be suitable for it by leaving them with Berc. He knew Oga would go back to Broud if he ordered it, but it was obvious she no longer cared for him. And Brac was almost openly disgusted with his former man of hearth.</p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Oda's son was named Zerb. Vek had chosen it from the name of the former MogUr of his original clan who had been his man of hearth. He remembered that the elder Zerb had been the one to encourage him to adjust his hunting strategy when his right arm had been burned and the stiffness from the scars had caused him trouble. Also the elder Zerb had told the other clan members not to think that little Oba was bad luck because she had red hair. He said it meant the spirits favored her.</p><p>Ona's son was named Nouz.</p><p>Shortly before Uba had her twins, Vorn had asked her if she had any preferences for names. She had said Aba for a girl and Norv for a boy. When it was 2 girls, Vorn went to Goov and told him since Uba had suggested names she knew would please him since the elder Aba had been his grandmother. He said he wanted to choose a name for the other girl that would please her. He told Goov what he had in mind.</p><p>Uba's twin daughters were named Aba and Aza.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Everyone in the cave was pleased that the ceremony that Goov was conducting tonight would be for the totems of 4 new babies. It was thought that it would be lucky to have them all at once like that.</p><p>Durc handed the completed amulets with the red ochre stones in them to Goov. It was part of his duties as acolyte to start learning to assist the Mogur in ceremonies. When they had had the naming ceremony, Goov had Durc help grind up the red ochre into powder and had showed him how to mix cave bear fat with it to make the red salve for the naming ceremony.</p><p>Goov started with the boys, "Spirit of Snow Leopard, this boy Zerb is delivered into your protection".</p><p>"Spirit of Lynx, this boy Nouz is delivered into your protection".</p><p>"Spirit of Otter, this girl Aza is delivered into your protection".</p><p>"Spirit of Ptarmagin, this girl Aba is delivered into your protection".</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Then men were sitting around a fire discussing things one winter evening. Berc was still trying to get a feel of who would be the best person to be his second. Vorn or Crug? He and Crug had been discussing some point about hunting strategy.</p><p>Finally Berc straight out asked him, "Crug, you're uncomfortable with doing things differently, aren't you"?</p><p>"Crug answered, "Yes I am. I'm sorry to say that's probably the reason I was sometimes uncomfortable with Durc's mother. But I didn't think that Broud should have cursed her. It cost us another medicine woman".</p><p>Grod interjected, "I agree with the things that Crug said. But we have to live by our memories don't we? What else do we have"?</p><p>Berc said, "Growing up, I had always been like this. If something happened that my memories couldn't make sense of. Sometimes I would think of a better way to do things. Oda was that way a bit as well. But she was reprimanded for it so harshly and so often she stopped when she was still fairly young. Me being like this made people uncomfortable. That's one reason I mated into another clan. The one that Vek and his family were from".</p><p>Then Crug said, "But Berc, couldn't you going against custom have brought bad luck on your former clan? You said your numbers had dwindled. And then your former mate and Orma's former mate and some of the others were killed in the quake".</p><p>Berc answered, "An epidemic of sickness last winter took the very old and some of the very young. Sometimes, these things happen. And when your memories can't give you the answers you have to try to find other answers to problems. I know it's hard, with our memories to try to go against them, but I feel it's very important that we have to try".</p><p>He then turned to Vorn, "What do you think Vorn"?</p><p>Vorn answered, "I know the terrible mess that Broud tried to make of things has had me questioning some of the customs we have. The dismissive way he always treated women. I know most of us don't act like that toward our women, but there's nothing stopping us from it if we chose to. Frankly, I don't feel right about that. Of course most women don't give you a reason to. Ayla always had difficulty and Broud jumped on her for every single infraction. But as Crug said, Broud cursing her cost us a second medicine woman. I can't help but think what might have happened if Uba had experienced complications in birth and the other women didn't know how to help her even if she had been able to tell them".</p><p>Goov and Brun had been listening to the things all the men were saying. Goov decided he needed to meditate on these things.</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Goov drank the datura and was staring into they eye sockets of the cave bear skull they had found in this new cave. He had came by himself into his side chamber to be alone to meditate.</p><p>The skull changed in front of his eyes to become a living bear. But right away he could see the bear was dying. He could also see a shadowy figure of a woman in the background. He couldn't make out her features, but her body language spoke of sadness and grief. What could this mean, would the cave bear no longer be around to protect them?</p><p>He implored, "Ursus, why are you dying"?</p><p>The large animal signed, "It's not just me, do you understand what I'm saying"?</p><p>Goov was troubled by the thought that came to him, "The clan is dying? But we've been doing so well. So many new children born. We've got enough food for the winter".</p><p>Ursus responded, "You've only been doing so well because your's is one of the few clans that have tried to adapt to change. By taking in Ayla, by allowing Durc to live. By allowing some of your people to make a few changes. The world is changing. Those of the clan who refuse to try to change are doomed. So keep embracing change when it is the best course of action".</p><p>Goov said, "I will advise Brun of my meditations. What other ways can we help ourselves"?</p><p>Ursus gestured, "Why are children like Durc and Ura different"?</p><p>Goov answered, "We believe they are deformed. But Ayla said, any child she had would look like Durc. He looks like her in some ways and like clan in others. He has memories, but he can often think in new ways. That's it! He's a mixture of clan and others".</p><p>The great beast nodded, "Yes you understand. Most clans dispose of these children. But I ask that you do not anymore. And if any child such as them cross your path again, offer them a home. I know you have many people in this clan already. When the new hunting season starts, a sign will be given to you that what I am saying is true and that you will be provided for".</p><p>Goov said, "I will tell the other's everything you have said. Will all this keep you from dying"?</p><p>Ursus said, "It will keep me alive long enough until you don't need me anymore". Then the great beast looked back to the shadowy woman. Goov saw that they signed to each other. The woman looked pleased. Ursus fondly gestured the word mother to the woman.</p><p>?Mother?, Goov thought, "Whose mother"?</p><p>Ursus gestured, "The mother of all. Even clan. But you have forgotten her. It shows in the way that people like Broud and Oda's former mate treat women. She left the clan in my care many eons ago. You must get to know her again".</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Goov shared his meditations with the men the next day. They were shocked to say the least.</p><p>Grod spoke up, "How can it be true that we are dying? We are doing very well. We have a home. We have enough food to last through the winter. We have many new healthy children".</p><p>Goov answered, "These things are true for our clan now because we have started to change in a few small ways. But did you ever notice how things were before we found Ayla who brought change with her. Many times women would have fewer and fewer children. Many times they would only have one to grow to adulthood, like Ebra, Aba and my own mother Iva. If that continued eventually we would have dwindled to nothing". He noticed that Brun nodded in agreement. Then he continued, "Berc, was it like that in the clan you grew up in"?</p><p>Berc answered, "Yes, my own mother was one of the few that had more than 2 children. Quite a few only had one to grow to adulthood".</p><p>Droog spoke up, "I certainly believe what you said about Durc and Ura being mixed. It makes sense, for Durc at least. But how would the spirit of an Other's man overcome Oda's totem"?</p><p>Berc answered this as well, "Oda told me how she was out gathering with some other women. A band of Other's men came upon them and wanted to relieve their needs. They were unnecessarily rough with her and caused her baby, her first daughter to fall onto the ground out of her carrying cloak. The child's head hit the ground and she died. I suppose that one encounter was enough".</p><p>Brun spoke up, "I certainly wouldn't mind taking in or keeping more children like Durc and Ura if something like that happens. Except for the way they look, they seem normal. Maybe a few oddities in the way they think. But what of this Mother spirit that Ursus spoke of. How can we honor her if we don't even know her or rather don't remember her"?</p><p>Goov said, "Well I believe from what Ursus said, she is displeased the way women are treated. Even though most of us don't treat our women like Broud or Oda's former mate did, we are still a bit dismissive of them. How many times do say to our own selves, that it doesn't matter what they want because they are just women. Now I think our own clan is doing better. Berc and Vorn both asked their mates what they would suggest for baby names. And Vorn wanted to name the other twin something that would please Uba. Also we tried to reduce their workload when they were pregnant by bringing the kills back to the cave tied to our spears so they could butcher it here".</p><p>Brun nodded in understanding, "I know what you mean. When we were looking for our previous cave, it was Iza and Ayla who saw it first. I was irritated with Iza for letting the strange child wander off and possibly delaying us. I thought about not letting her speak when she was sitting at my feet begging to speak. I feel some shame about that now. We could have lost that cave because I might have dismissed her because she was a woman. I know it won't be easy because it's so ingrained in our minds. But I think we have to start considering our women's concerns. It's the only thing I can think of to do until someone can tell of this Mother and we receive the sign that Goov said we would find during the next hunting season".</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The women didn't quite know what to make of how differently the men were acting. When the women would go to sit at the feet of the men to say something to them. The men would pull them to their feet and say they didn't have to sit at their feet and beg to be recognized. Just to not interrupt unless it was something very important. Even if some of the men like Crug and Grod looked like they were going to bust a blood vessel the first few times they did it. When the women (half afraid to ask) inquired why they were doing it this way, they were told that Goov said it was the will of Ursus. The women knew there was something that was being refrained from being mentioned, but they didn't press it.</p><p>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Time passed and everyone was slowly getting used to this new custom. Ovra started experiencing back pain. And she went to Uba because it was making it difficult to work and to sleep. Her water broke as soon as she walked into Uba's hearth. Uba told her to stay and have the baby at the medicine hearth in case there were complications. When she examined her she believed Ovra was farther along in labor than she thought she would be. Ebra and Uka came to help.The baby was being born breech. The lower half of a girl child came out easily, but it was apparent the head was going to cause some trouble. Uba took a new knife that Droog had made for her and had never been used for anything else and made a cut to give more room. She would heal that wound later and it would heal easier than a jagged tear. The child's head came out easier. The infant cried loudly. Uba told her to expel the afterbirth, but Ovra said it felt like another baby was coming out. A boy was born. There were a few tense moments while Uba had to get the umbilical cord out from around the baby's neck. He took a little longer to respond, but eventually joined his sister at voicing his displeasure of his new environment.</p><p>Goov nearly fell down when he was told Ovra had a boy and a girl born together. Brun examined them and declared they would be accepted if they lived to their naming day. Goov had asked Ovra her name preferences and she wished to name the boy after her late sibling Dorg. She told him she wanted him to name the girl child. During his meditations, the name came to him like it was whispered on the wind, Una. He thought it sounded similar to the name of one of the ancient female spirits. He hoped it would please the Mother and Ursus. As if to answer him, he thought he heard a dove cooing and he realized Una's totem was revealing itself to him as well. He decided to see if he could determine the boy's totem as well. One image stuck in his mind and would not leave. A mammoth. Goov could hardly believe it. A mammoth totem was very rare. The mammoth spirit spoke to him, "It is one of my kind who will give you the sign during the next hunting season. It is my wish that I be the one to protect the son of your hearth".</p><p>The clan were both shocked but pleased at the names and the totems of the 2 children. In an unprecedented move he held the ceremonies on the same day since he had meditated on the name and the totems the night before the naming day.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/>Here is an updated hearth listing including totems.</p><p> </p><p>Brun- Leader- Bison<br/>Ebra- Goose<br/>Broud- mentally disabled adult- Wooly Rhino</p><p>Berc-Second-Onager<br/>Orma-First woman-Sable<br/>Grun-Ibex<br/>Uta-Ermine<br/>Oba-Red Squirrel<br/>Oga-Second woman-Grouse<br/>Brac- Horse<br/>Grev- Dhole<br/>Ima- Bat</p><p>Vorn-Megaceros<br/>Uba- Medicine Woman- Rabbit<br/>Durc-Grey Wolf<br/>Aba-Ptarmagin<br/>Aza-Otter</p><p>Goov-Mogur- Aurochs<br/>Ovra-Beaver<br/>Una- Dove<br/>Dorg-Mammoth</p><p>Droog- Toolmaker- Aurochs<br/>Aga-Vole<br/>Groob- Red deer<br/>Ayla-Turtle</p><p>Crug-Reindeer<br/>Ika-Blackbird<br/>Igra-Duck<br/>Dorv-Black Wolf</p><p>Grod- Brown Bear<br/>Uka- Crane<br/>Zoug- Elder- Eagle</p><p>Borg-Boar<br/>Ona-Owl<br/>Nouz-Lynx</p><p>Vek-Hawk<br/>Oda-Hamster<br/>Ura- Harvest Mouse<br/>Zerb-Snow Leopard</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On some days when it was nice enough outside, Zoug would have the boys go out and practice their sling throwing a short distance away from the cave. And this group included Broud, because Brun wanted him to relearn things he had forgotten to do. So far he had did well with the correct way to thrust a spear and had managed to get a few small animals hunting with someone else under supervision. But of course he was never good with the sling. Zoug privately thought he still wasn't good with it and frankly he fairly well fed up with trying to teach him. Plus the boys were all uncomfortable with him around. However Durc as young as he was took pity on Broud and had him try out different ways he could swing the leather weapon and he finally found a method that worked for him.</p><p>Zoug was astounded, "Durc, how did you do it? I've been trying to teach him since he was about the same age as you".</p><p>Durc shrugged, "The way he was doing it wasn't working, so I thought, why not try different ways until he found something that did work".</p><p>Zoug remembered that was pretty much the same thing that Berc had said to the men in one of the discussions they had all had. How if your memories didn't help you, you had to try something different".</p><p>Broud looked so pleased with himself and thanked Durc, "I'm glad you tried to help me. I know you have every right to not want to".</p><p>Durc said, "You're a lot different since you lost your memory. You don't call me ugly and deformed anymore. And you don't lose your temper like you used to.</p><p>``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````</p><p>Goov would often meditate on cold winter evenings. He wanted to try to see if he could access ancient memories of a time when women had control of spirit magic. His memories took him to a far distant time when women had this power. The memory was of a clan that was worried about newcomers who had started coming into their ancient lands. This coincided with the mysterious disappearance of a boy child who had seemed to be marked by the spirits themselves. He had a birthmark on his face that looked like the fire that came out of the sky. But Goov lost the connection of the meditation and did not see anymore of this vision. He was very discouraged when he tried and failed to regain this connection and thought surely Creb would have been able to have done better.</p><p>"Why did Creb choose me as an acolyte"?, he thought to himself. "He would have been better off choosing someone from a clan gathering".</p><p>He heard the voice of Ursus in his mind. "Creb chose you because you were the most open minded of the boys. Remember it was you who speculated that Ayla's totem was actually the Cave Lioness and the it is the lioness that hunts. How many other men would have thought of that? I know it was hard for you to learn the things Creb needed to teach you, but it would have been even harder for the other men. You had an advantage".</p><p>Goov said, "What advantage"?</p><p>"Your mother Iva was open to learning new things. That is why she was able to learn some things from Iza and often helped Iza with medicine when it looked like for many years that Iza would never have a child. However your mother was killed along with many others before Uba was born. It is possible she could have learned spirit magic if it had been allowed.", Ursus answered. "But as you know children are almost always reprimanded when they try to do things differently, especially women. Some are death cursed if they break with tradition. Your mother's man of hearth when she was a child had this ability to learn more easily and that's why he was chosen as acolyte to the Mogur before him. Your mother's two siblings did not inherit this ability because they were not born of his spirit but she was".</p><p>Goov tried to puzzle it out, "So you are saying that I inherited an advantage to learn more easily through my mother. But I didn't inherit Mogur memories through her"?</p><p>Ursus told him, "Yes, that is correct".</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Brun and Berc decided they should have a talk with Brac about the animosity he was still feeling about Broud. They told him he needed to get past it in order to be an effective leader. That if he harbored resentment towards Broud, that he was, in a way, just making the same mistakes that Broud had made. They said they knew that a lot of his anger was coming from concern for his mother and her other children, but not to worry because Berc was taking care of them now.</p><p>Zoug was still astounded that Durc had taught Broud to use a sling correctly when he had never been able to. Zoug had started being more patient with Broud and demonstrated to him how to make the slings. Which surprisingly Broud seemed to have a talent for. Perhaps losing so many years of memories had cleared out some room in his mind to learn things. Well, someone would have to make them when Zoug passed on. He wondered why he still lived when others like Creb and Aba who had been younger had died.</p><p>Many of the men were anxious for the hunting season to start, mainly because of this sign that Goov said they would find. It hadn't been easy for them to change their ways in how they interacted with the women. And they longed for a sign that Ursus did indeed approve. Goov reminded them the sign would come because of a mammoth or something to do with a mammoth.</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The men had started hunting again as spring started. One day they had noticed a sinkhole starting to form as they were walking back to the cave. The next day they heard the low toned sounds that (with the exception of the older men) they had only heard once before. The sounds of mammoth. The men rushed from the cave to get where they animals were crossing their hunting lands. Hoping there would be a way to get one. Goov had told them their sign from the spirits would come because of a mammoth.</p><p>All of a sudden they heard the sounds of one of the gigantic animals in pain. They could see that one of the large older females had one of her legs stuck in another sinkhole that had opened near the first one as her weight has started to cross that piece of land. The other animals were trying to comfort her, but there was nothing they could do to help as her leg was broken and they grew afraid as the humans approached. They moved away from the their trapped comrade.</p><p>Goov spoke up, "We must make the kill as quick and painless as possible to honor this great gift the spirits have granted us. This will feed us for a long time".</p><p>Goov started to gesture calmly and make soothing sounds as he approached the animal. When he gave the signal, Droog thrust the spear and made a quick clean kill. They instructed Vek to run back to the cave to get the women so they could start the butchering. To get Brun as well. Only Zoug would stay behind to guard the cave along with some of the younger children who were not babies. They would have to be very vigilant about predators. The majority of the women had babies that they would be carrying in a cloak as they butchered the meat, cut it up for drying, etc. And they would be carrying it back.</p><p>Brun expressed concern to Berc when the women started butchering that so many of the women would be carrying babies and so heavily loaded down as well. Brun had already decided that Broud would help carry meat back. Berc said that the older children could carry some like an idea that Brun had come up with before they found the cave. Even the boys would carry.</p><p>The time had come when the women were to remove the animals internal organs. They saw that she had been pregnant. And inside her womb was the immature fetus of a infant mammoth with white fur. When Goov saw it, he knew it was the sign.</p><p>Everyone was so shocked at what they had seen, they didn't notice a predator sneaking up on them.</p><p>The women trembled in fear and the men tensed up when they saw the dirk-toothed tiger coming in their direction. Broud thought maybe he could hit it<br/>
and stun it now that he was doing better at using the sling. Brun motioned "No" to him and said, "You'll only anger it further".</p><p>Vorn said, "Quick, we should throw it a haunch of meat. Maybe it will take it and go away".</p><p>Since he was the closet to where the women were butchering, Crug made the move to throw a large haunch of the mammoth meat to the large predator. But instead the animal tensed up and it seemed like it was about the spring on the unfortunate hunter. When suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere a spear came flying and pierced the animal in the side deeply. Some of the men quickly made sure the animal was dead. They looked and saw a man and 2 children walking towards them.</p><p>To their surprise they noticed that the man looked like they would imagine Durc would look like when he grew up. He was a man who was mixed. The children with him had some clan features but more Other's features. Both children had the occipital bun shape to the back of their heads. Not as much as a full clan person or even Durc or Ura would have, but it was there. The girl was short like clan girls, but did not have the stocky build. She had curly dark hair like clan, but the high forehead and prominent chin of the Others. She had the large brown eyes although they were a bit almond shaped, but no brow ridges and she didn't exactly have the prominent jaw or nose of clan people. Her face looked rather flat to them.</p><p>The boy was even more odd looking to the clan. Yes, he did have the occipital bun and he did have a clan nose and prominent jaw. But he had yellow hair and blue eyes. Plus an Other's forehead and chin.</p><p>Brun, Berc, Goov and Vorn walked toward the newcomers. Crug retrieved the thrown spear and joined them. He handed it back to the man who had killed the predator. As he did, he said in the ancient formal language, "I believe you have saved my life. I have a debt of gratitude to you. But, how did you throw a spear? I... I mean we have never seen anything like this".</p><p>The mixed man also responded in the ancient language, "Throwing spears to hunt is how Others people hunt. It's safer. You don't have to get so close to the animal. And you can get more than one if more than one hunter throws a spear and gets an animal".</p><p>Brun said, "We all want to hear about it later. But for now, I am Brun, leader of this clan. This is our Mogur Goov and this is my second Berc. And these 2 hunters are Vorn and Crug".</p><p>The man responded, "I am Echozar of No People, formerly of the Lanzadonii people. These 2 children are Zarika and Hochovan and they are the children of my mate. She has returned to the Mother...I'm sorry, I meant to say, she walks in the next world. You don't know of the Mother".</p><p>Goov said, "Can you tell us of the Mother, Zar? In my recent meditations, Ursus told us that the Mother grieves because we have forgotten her. We want to know of her so we can honor her".</p><p>Brun added, "Yes, please, come back to the cave with us. You and Ovan and Zika".</p><p>Echozar nodded, "I will. I will tell you what I know of the Mother. And I will tell you my story if you want to hear it. In the meantime, Would it be alright if I showed you an easier way to get all this meat back to the cave".</p>
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<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Chapter 31</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Echozar, or Zar as the clan called him showed the clan how to make something called a pole drag. To haul the majority of the meat back to the cave. Brun thought it was an ingenious solution, but he knew none of them would have ever thought of such a thing. Zar left the body of the dirk tooth tiger, so hopefully no other predators would follow them home. Although he took the claws, teeth and skin. They had determined it was an older animal, most likely half blind and starving. It explained it's unusual behavior.</p><p>One thing that Zar had told them before he agreed to come back to the cave was that his children were not raised as clan children. He didn't want them being cuffed for not doing things the clan way. He was especially adamant that Others girls might be seen as insolent by clan, but they were not. It was just different customs.</p><p>Brun decided they would use pole drags from now on for hauling. Goov's visions had told them they had to embrace change. They would have a feast using the meat from the fetal mammoth. Goov would save the white hide as one of his sacred relics.</p><p>After all the work had been done by evening the next day. They had the feast. After the eating was done, everyone settled down to hear Zar's story.</p><p>Zar started speaking, "I was born to a clan woman named Yoma far to the west of here. She was death cursed after my birth. She was taken in by a man of the Others named Andovan. He was my man of hearth growing up. A very good man. When I was older I lost both of them to death. I was so sick in my mind and spirit I wanted to die. Another man of the Others saved me. His name was Dalanar.</p><p>Dalanar was the leader of his own group of people, his clan if you will. He had his mate Jerika, who was born to woman named Ahn-Lay mate of Hochoman who came from a place far to the east, near the Endless Sea. Jerika had a daughter named Joplaya. I was so fond of Joplaya right from the very start. She was fond of me as well, but I knew she desired someone else. However she agreed to mate me because she was not allowed to mate this other person. Because this other man Jondalar was born to a woman who was mated to Dalanar before he was mated to Jerika. This made Jondalar and Jerika something called close cousins. This is a mating that is forbidden just like clan forbid the matings of siblings.</p><p>So Joplaya and I were mated. And after a while she gave birth to Zarika and Hochovan. Things went all right for a few turnings of the seasons (about the time the children were weaned). And then Jondalar came to visit his former man of hearth. There was a festival going on to honor the Mother. There was too much drinking and people did things they shouldn't have. Jondalar and Joplaya honored the Mother together. I mean, he relieved his needs with her when they were not supposed to".</p><p>Goov spoke up when Zar took a break, "Zar, why is drinking something a bad thing and and what is this thing, honoring the Mother by relieving needs"?</p><p>Echozar tried to choose his words more carefully, "Remember, I explained that Jondalar and Joplaya were called close cousins because they had the same man of hearth, but different mothers"? His listeners nodded yes. "Among people of the Others, it is forbidden for close cousins to mate or to relieve needs with each other. It is also forbidden for siblings, just like in the clan.</p><p>What they were drinking was either grape juice or birch sap that had been modified by a process that the clan does not know of. When people drink it, it can alter their mood or thoughts or impair their judgement about what is appropriate. People drink it because they think it makes them feel good or it they think it will numb their pain or unhappiness. I've never liked it myself. Joplaya and Jondalar had drank it that night and they ended up relieving needs, which Others call honoring the Mother.</p><p>The Others believe that the Mother gave us a great gift, the Gift of Pleasure. It refers to the pleasurable sensations that people feel when they "relieve needs. My mother Yoma told me, it's not always pleasurable for Clan women. It's just something she's ordered to do whether she wants to or not". With that statement, Echozar looked rather unhappy and some of the clan men wondered if he was judging them.\</p><p>He continued, "Now about Jondalar and Joplaya. The other people in our group, our clan were very disapproving of what they had did. They asked Jondalar to leave. Joplaya was being shunned by everyone except her family and me. We had heard that Jondalar left on a long journey with his younger brother after that. We hoped that eventually everyone would forget about what Joplaya had done. Then an epidemic swept through our land. Dalanar and Jerika died along with many others. People were saying she brought bad luck upon everyone. They never liked me much as well because I'm part clan. Dalanar's second in command asked us to leave and so we did".</p>
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<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Chapter 32</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Echozar continued his story, "We traveled quite a ways and we came upon a young girl who was being attacked by a whole group of young men. They were all going to relieve their needs with her. You see, among the Others, when a girl becomes a woman by having her first moon time. There is a special ceremony where an older experienced man who the girl trusts will be the first to honor the mother with her. To make her a woman by introducing her to the gift of pleasures and opening her body for the Mother's blessing. What these young men were doing was heinous because even though she had her first moon time, she hadn't had the ceremony. We managed to drive them off before they could actually force her. Her people the Losadunai were grateful to us for what we had done and gave us enough supplies to continue our journey for a long time. And we changed some minds about Clan people and mixed people among the Losadunai.</p><p>You see, among some people of the Others, they fear and distrust Clan people. And I'm ashamed to say some of them even think the Clan are animals and not human. But my man of hearth Andovan was not like that and neither was Dalanar and Joplaya and the rest of their family. It is possible for people to change their minds".</p><p>His listeners were disturbed to hear that some of the Others thought of them in this way. Even though they thought the Others were ugly and strange and not very smart, they didn't doubt they were human.</p><p>Echozar took a breath and continued speaking, "After leaving the Losadunai, we ran into that band of bad young men again. They were trying to attack a clan man and his mate. We helped them as well. The clan man's name was Guban and his mate was Yorga. It turned out that Yorga was from another clan and it was the same one my mother Yoma had been from. That meant we were kin. Guban offered us a place to stay in a nearby small cave to their main one. That way we wouldn't have clashes between the 2 groups. There's no way Joplaya was going to behave like a clan woman. But it was near enough that I could visit. Guban taught me how to speak properly. Because I only knew the female signs that my mother had taught me. While we were there, Guban's Mog-Ur had me participate in a ceremony. He led us in a vision of Ursus telling me I must continue east. That I must eventually find the acolyte of Mog-Ur One Eye. And then my totem would be revealed to me. And at that point I must search for the Lioness.</p><p>To be continued</p>
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<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Chapter 33</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Echozar continued his narrative, "To say that Joplaya was unhappy about my clan kin sending me on a quest was an understatement. But she didn't want to be alone and I didn't want to be without the children, So they stayed with me. After many moons, we eventually encountered someone we thought we would never see again. Jondalar and his younger brother Thonolon. They had settled with a people called the Sharamudoi. Jondalar had mated with a woman called Serenio and Thonolan with a woman called Jetamio. We couldn't really stay with them because the leader of the group, a man named Dolando had very strong negative feelings about people of the clan. Because the son of his mate had been killed in an encounter with people of the clan. Jondalar told us that it was mostly the fault of the boy himself. But Dolando refused to believe it.</p><p>We were allowed to camp nearby only because Joplaya was kin. But Dolando didn't want us around him but Jondalar and Thonolan could visit us. Joplaya started to grow unhappy. As much as it pains me to say it, it was because she saw that Jondalar was happy with Serenio. And he got to be a man of hearth to Serenio's son. Plus she had another son of his spirit. A tragedy happened with Thonolan's mate Jetamio, she died in childbirth. And the child along with her. Joplaya and Thonolan started spending time together, bonding over their shared unhappiness. They went out fishing for sturgeon and their bowl boat overturned and they both drowned. Dolando told us to leave before he made us leave. He said it was people like us, mixtures, who had brought so much bad luck. We just kept traveling until we found your clan. But tell me, where can I find the acolyte of Mog-Ur One Eye?Can you tell me"?</p><p>Goov answered, "You already have, Mog-Ur One Eye or Creb as we called him was my mentor. I will certainly meditate with the spirits to find your totem. Also those of your mate's children. And we will find out what else it is that you are suppose to do. You and the children must be tired now, we will talk more in the morning".</p><p>`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````</p><p>In the morning when Zar had went out of the cave to pass water, he ran into Ika who he understood was the mate of Crug, the hunter whose life he had saved from the dirk tooth tiger. He could tell that Ika was expressing interest in him. It had been awhile since Joplaya had died and even before she had lost interest in being with him. No other woman of the Others ever wanted to share pleasures with him. He knew about the signal from his time with Guban's clan. So he looked and no one else was around and gave Ika the signal and also motioned that he hoped Crug wouldn't mind.</p><p>Ika said, "I am so grateful to you for saving my mates life. I asked him if I could do this for you if you wanted. We are supposed to be learning about the Mother. Can you teach me about pleasures? And maybe I can tell my mate and he can tell the other men and I can tell the other women. She lowered down onto the ground so he could relieve his needs. But he said, "Let's find someplace more private. For starters, there are other positions".</p>
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<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Chapter 34</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Goov took the next few days to observe Zar and the children. To get some impressions about what their totems would be and to figure out what the spirits were compelling him to do. Seeing Zar was like seeing what Durc could be like when he grew up. Although Zar had not grown up with people who were so hide-bound by their memories. His Others man of hearth had taught him their ways while his clan mother had reminded him of the memories he already had. One advantage is he seemed to be able to pick up on anything they taught him fairly quickly. It wasn't quite so easy for Zar to try to teach them how to throw a spear. Their arms didn't seem to work exactly the same. But like young Durc had figured out a way for Broud to learn to use the sling effectively. All the men were working with Zar and and also with Berc and Vek who had always been a bit more forward thinking to try to find a way to compensate and be able to throw a spear.</p><p>The children fascinated Goov. Young Ovan was mostly a serious young boy. He had a lot of talent with flint-knapping. Zar had told them that the children's mother was a flint-knapper (apparently Others women could make weapons as well as use them) and her man of hearth was as well. He enjoyed spending time with Droog and had become quite friendly with Groob. The boy was fiercely protective of his twin. There had been a few tense moments when other clan children had thought she was being insolent when she didn't act exactly like a clan female.</p><p>Little Zika was a cheerful bright girl. Her dark hair and brown eyes made her seem more clan than her sibling. But her hair, while curly was as black as a raven's feathers and smoother than what clan people usually had. She was interested in learning from Uba.</p><p>It had not escaped anyone's notice that Zar had an encounter with Ika. She was telling the women about it and then the men were telling each other what their mates had told them. And everyone was experimenting with these new ideas. Except Zoug who complained about not having a mate and didn't know if he could relieve needs even if he had one.</p><p>One night Goov was meditating about all these things. It was the raven who revealed himself as Zika's totem. For Ovan, it was a golden eagle. Then the scene shifted. Goov saw a male dirk tooth walking along as if it was searching for something. But it was not a sick starving animal like the one Zar had killed. It was a young healthy cat. It encountered a lioness, but the 2 animals did not try to kill each other, but instead rubbed their faces together with affection. In the vision a horse and a colt stood nearby, seemingly unafraid of the 2 predators. Goov thought to himself, Zar killed a dirk tooth, it's a good totem for him. Ayla's totem could be interpreted as the Lioness rather than the lion. In this vision, the dirk tooth searched for the lioness and found her. "That's it, Zar will find Ayla for us".</p>
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<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Chapter 35</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Goov conducted the ceremony to name the totems of Zar and the children. Then he and Brun decided it would be a good time to tell Zar their story and also to tell him what he thought the visions meant. He had Brun, Berc, Vorn and Grod join him and Zar in the men's chamber where ceremonies were conducted.</p><p>Goov began his narrative, "You've probably seen people mention since you've been here that we have not been in this cave long. We moved here after our old cave was destroyed in an earthquake last spring. And this was the second cave we have had to move to because of an earthquake. The cave that this clan lived in when I was born was destroyed a few moons before our medicine woman Uba was born.</p><p>I was just a new hunter at the time as well as being an acolyte to Creb. I remember we searched for quite sometime. Then one day our clan found a child of the Others who had collapsed along a riverbank. She was nearly dead from sickness, hunger and thirst. She had been clawed on the leg by a cave lion and the scratches had become infected. Brun allowed his sibling Iza who was the medicine woman to pick up the child and bring her with us and try to heal her. The child recovered. Iza was allowed to adopt her. Her name was Ayla. And yes, Aga's daughter is named after her. Iza raised her and trained her in the healing magic along with her own daughter Uba who was born shortly afterward. Brun allowed them to live with Creb. He claimed his full Mog-Ur's share so he could support them all even though he couldn't hunt because of his afflictions.</p><p>It wasn't always easy for Ayla to adapt to living with the clan. Even though she had no conscious memory of her people or her life before. Sometimes living with the clan she had to go against her very nature. As I understand from what you told us and from another source, women of the Others are not submissive like clan women are. Ayla had to learn to speak as we do. It was very obvious what her totem was. He had marked her himself. No woman in our clan had ever had such a strong totem. Indeed none of our men had ever had it. Her totem compelled her to teach herself to hunt with the sling.</p><p>After Ayla became a woman, she gave birth to Durc. No one thought she would ever be able to have a child because such a strong male totem. I understand from what you've told us that the Others have different beliefs about how life starts. How the Mother chooses which man's spirit a child is born of. I must admit, we've never been able to figure out exactly which man's spirit Durc was born of.</p><p>When Brun decided to retire after Iza died, Broud became leader. Broud was not always as you see him now, childlike with no memory of his past life and relearning to do things. He was ill tempered, proud and arrogant. Always thinking of himself and no one else. He had always resented, even hated Ayla for taking attention away from him. His first actions as new leader were to take Ayla as a second woman. He was mated to Oga at the time. He then took her son from her and gave him to Vorn and Uba. Then he said Creb would have to live in the coldest part of the cave because he had retired and I had just taken over for him. Ayla stood up to Broud in her capacity as First Medicine Woman and said that might kill Creb. Broud ordered her cursed with death for insolence. And then the earthquake struck and Creb was killed.To my shame, I obeyed Broud about the death curse because he was the leader and I was unsure of myself.</p><p>Ayla left us. And we started preparing to find a new home. I went in the ceremonial chamber to get what I had to take with me. And I found out the bones used to set the curse had been utterly crushed. The curse was broken. She wasn't dead. But I knew if Broud found out he may have tried to track her down and kill her himself. That's how bad he was back then. So I told no one but Brun at the time about the broken curse.</p><p>Zar, we were hoping that you could help us try to find Ayla and ask her to come home to us. If she would even want to after the way Broud treated her, but I know she would want to be reunited with her son. All we know is she headed north to try to find some of the Others. Would you consider helping us"?</p>
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<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Chapter 36</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Goov continued to speak, "I realize we are asking a lot of you. You have 2 young children with you. But we have no idea how to go about finding Ayla. We've always tried to avoid wandering into the territory of the Others. We don't know how to communicate with them and even accidental encounters usually end up with a lot of tension on both sides. You have told us that some of them don't even consider us human. How could we even hope to begin to get around that? But you know how to speak both ways. So perhaps it would be easier for you. We are worried something could have happened to her, a woman alone. Yes, it's true she taught herself to hunt with a sling, but how could she have prepared for the winter. It may already be too late.</p><p>Echozar answered, "I am honored that you would ask me to do this for you. I have felt more at home here than I have anywhere since my mate and I had to leave the Lanzadonii people. But you must understand. Just because I can speak with words, doesn't mean I know how to speak every different language that Others use. Unlike the clan, the Others don't have a formal language that all of them know".</p><p>Brun shook his head and asked , "If there's no formal language, how can different groups talk to each other"?</p><p>Zar answered, "They have to learn each other's languages. That's the way it is for many things about the Others. They have to learn and teach themselves new things. Another problem is, people of the Others have very negative feelings for mixed people like me and the children. The people we meet might drive us away".</p><p>Goov looked dejected and said, "Then there's no hope".</p><p>Zar answered, "Wait. There may be something. When we stayed briefly in the Sharamudoi territory, Jondalar and Thonolan had told us that sometimes they traded with a people called the Mamutoi, the mammoth hunters. One of the Sharamudoi men had mated with a Mamutoi woman. Some of the 2 groups know each others languages. I picked up a little of the Sharamudoi language while we were there. I'm not exactly sure where Mamutoi land is except north of here. But perhaps if I could find some that would be willing to speak to me. I'd like to make sure that all of you are doing well with the new hunting technique of throwing spears before I would try it. This will help you get more food. You have so many children and nursing mothers here and the throwing spears to hunt could make a big difference. Also, Goov, have you ever considered trying to use a spirit journey to try to find where she went"?</p>
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<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Chapter 37</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Goov looked puzzled and said, "Spirit journeys. How can that help us find Ayla".</p><p>Echozar answered, "Among the Others, some of the people who intervene with the spirit world can send their spirits flying over the landscape. This is very useful when hunts are being planned. They can see the herds of animals from above while in spirit form. I was thinking, perhaps you could get an idea of where she went if you could do that".</p><p>Goov looked a bit embarrassed and said, "I have never tried that, in fact, I've never heard of that. I suppose I could try".</p><p>Goov started preparing the datura that he would use to enter the spirit world. The other men would pound their spears on the ground to create a rhythm.</p><p>He drank the datura. He started by concentrating on his memory of Ayla as she walked away from them after the death curse. He tried to imagine himself as rising from the ground so his spirit eyes could see which way she went after she disappeared from their view. After a few attempts it was obvious it wasn't working. Although he once again saw an image of a lioness. She was alone in a valley. But Goov could not tell where this valley was. He once again saw a horse and a colt standing nearby, unafraid of the large predator.</p><p>He started coming out of his spirit trance. He looked at the other men and told them it didn't work, but he shared with them the image that he did see.</p><p>Echozar said, "I may have to see if someone who can travel the spirit world among the Mamutoi can help me if I can find them".</p><p>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>During the next few days, the men continued learning the new hunting technique of throwing spears. Out of all of them, the ones who seemed to learn it the best were Berc and Vek. That was no surprise because everyone knew they were more adaptable. Also Goov picked it up rather well. And surprisingly Broud was actually doing rather well at it. Brun was beginning to think that perhaps old Zoug had been right when he said that Broud losing so many years of memories gave him some room to learn. He was also acting more mature, more like the adult that physically was. He wasn't quite there yet, but hopefully he would be soon. Brun once again thought that they might try to see about getting him another mate at the next clan gathering provided he was able to complete a manhood hunt before that time.</p><p>Crug and Grod didn't do as well as some of the other men. They were the most conservative and tied to the old ways and uncomfortable with change. But they perservered with the lessons.</p><p>Little Zika had attached herself to Uba. She was very interested about learning Uba's knowledge of medicinal plants. Uba was very pleased that she, like her mother was getting to pass on knowledge to a child of the Others. Uba thought part of it might be that the girl missed her mother. Zika told her that she did miss her mother but that her mother had been unhappy for a very long time before she died.</p><p>So this is how the spring went for the clan. They were preparing for Zar to start his search for Ayla in the summer and return before winter set in.</p>
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<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Chapter 38</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been decided that Ovan and Zika would stay with the clan while Zar searched for Ayla. Zar didn't want to be away from them and he had looked after them alone after Joplaya's death because there was no one else around to help him. But there had been a couple of close calls. He would feel better if they stayed with the clan. Crug had sworn to Zar that he would protect the children with his life. Ovan was going to continue to train with Droog. And Uba would continue to give Zika instruction in medicine lore.</p><p>The morning he was to leave, he motioned the children over to him. He embraced them, told them to be good and mind their elders. And that he would be back before winter if all went well. Both children cried and said they would miss him and asked why he was going. He said he had to help one of their new friends Durc get his mother back.</p><p>The clan had supplied him quite well for his journey. He decided he would head in the general direction of where he had heard from the Sharamudoi that the Mamutoi lands were. If he was really lucky, he would find her living among the Mamutoi. But it probably wouldn't be that easy. He hoped he wouldn't run into too much prejudice against himself.</p><p>The clan watched him leave until he disappeared from sight.</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>A little happenings for the clan while Zar starts out on his journey. Well for one person in the clan, some of his and the clan's backstory. And some fun for him.</p><p>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Zoug sighed in frustration as he tried to go to sleep again. He thought to himself, "That Zar has good ideas that's made our lives easier, but I don't know about these new methods of relieving needs or honoring the mother or whatever you call it". Apparently the women (and the men) liked it so much they were becoming very vocal about it. And doing it quite often, mostly when Zoug was trying to get some sleep.</p><p>Zoug thought back to when he was younger and newly mated to his Ola. They had both been quite young when they first mated. Much like young Borg had been when Brun had given him Ona. Ola had given birth to a daughter Uma just a couple of moons before Creb had been born. (Grod was the second born, closer to Brun's age.) When Creb's mother Oza had been so ill after the delivery that she was unable to nurse at first, Ola had nursed Creb along with Uma. And sometimes she had nursed him when Oza was busy with her medicine woman duties. So Creb and Uma were sort of milk siblings. They had been very fond of each other growing up. Creb never took a mate because of his circumstances, but if he had, it would have been Uma. However she was mated off to a young man from another clan. That is how Zoug had kin in another clan. She had one child, but had later died in childbirth with a second child. He had heard that the second child had grown up to become a Mogur of his home clan.</p><p>Zoug sighed, thinking once more how much he missed Ola. He finally drifted off to sleep and dreamed about when they were young. Eventually the dream turned to being about them relieving needs. He woke up and saw it was morning. Late enough that all the other men had left the cave and only woman were there. And Berc's mate Orma was waiting outside of his hearth with 2 bowls of something for him. And Zoug also noticed he had a rather visible problem, one he had not had for several years. He knew Orma noticed it too.</p><p>"What do you want woman"?, he grumbled.</p><p>She answered, "Uba asked me to bring you your morning arthritis tea and your breakfast as she is busy with something else at the moment. Zoug, this woman begs forgiveness for being so forward, but I noticed you have a problem and seem embarrassed about it. Would you like me to help you out"?</p><p>Zoug looked shocked and said, "You mean....?!</p><p>"Yes", she signed.</p><p>Zoug said, "I'm grateful you would wish to help me. But my joints ache so much, I don't think....".</p><p>Orma looked amused, "Remember Zoug, hearing about the new techniques. There are other ways''.</p><p>Zoug shook his head, "All right. But, I'm not sure how long this will last".</p><p>Afterward, Zoug said, "Well I think that made me feel better than I have in a long time. Maybe even better than Uba's medicine".</p><p>Orma left with instructions for him to take his medicine and to eat.</p>
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<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Chapter 39</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know the following has been done before in other stories, but I wanted to try my take on it. I hope it's not too derivitive of the way someone has imagined it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Echozar had been walking for a few days when he saw some people in the distance. From what he could tell, they looked like Others. He braced himself for negative reactions as he was a mixed person. It looked to be a man and woman and 2 children walking toward him. As they got closer he noticed the looks on their faces did not look disgusted, merely curious.The man and the woman were older than him, but not as old as Dalanar and Jerika would be if they were still alive. The boy looked about 10 and the little girl about half of that. They were all blond, although the man and the little girl had hair that was more of a honey color than blond like some people he had seen.</p><p>He held up his hands in a friendly greeting. He started speaking haltingly, since he didn't know the language well, "You speak Sharamudoi"?</p><p>The woman smiled and answered, "Yes we do, also Sungaea, Mamutoi, Terranoma and S'Armuna".</p><p>Echozar couldn't believe his luck, and responded in S'Armuna, "Then S'Armuna would be best for me. It was the native language of my man of hearth. And the language I learned growing up". He hesitated and then said, "I was born to a woman who was what most people call flat heads. Her people cast her out when I was born and when it was seen I was mixed. And she was taken in by he who would be my man of hearth. I don't know how you feel about people who are known as flatheads, but they are people, just different. They don't have many spoken words, they use hand sign language, but they call themselves clan".</p><p>The man said soothingly, "You don't have to defend yourself. I was born to a people who call themselves the Travelers or the Wanderers. Many generations ago, we lived at the base of our sacred mountain which was on a peninsula which juts out into The Great Southern Sea. Our land was supremely blessed with plant and animal life. A group of what you call clan came to our land looking for a new cave and new hunting and gathering grounds. Some young hot heads drove them off and killed many of them. Then our sacred mountain started spewing fire and ash. Some of us who were farthest away from our mountain escaped. Our shamaness meditated and the Mother told her we were being punished for not sharing our bounty with her First People. We were now nomadic. Some of us settled with other peoples. But many of us just travel from place to place, in large groups or in small groups like ours. That makes us more open minded about a lot of things. So let's have formal introductions".</p><p>Echozar started, "I am Echozar of No People. Formerly of the Lanzadonii People". He went on and told them an edited version of events of his life that had led him and the children to be staying with Brun's clan. He then went on to say, "Many turnings of the seasons ago they adopted an orphan girl they had found sick and starving. Their healer healed the child and they adopted her. However when a new leader was appointed, he had always hated her since they were young. And he came up with an excuse to cast her out. That leader has been deposed, and her clan wants her to come back. At the very least they believe she would want to be reunited with her son she was forced to leave behind. That boy is like me, mixed. I feel for him and want to help reunite him with his mother. And I want to help the clan I've come to care for in such a short time".</p><p>Echozar noticed the woman had a pondering look on her face as he had told the last part of her story. The man started talking, "I am Dathan, this is my mate Rahala and our children Nerak and Naveah. Rahala was born to the Terranoma people, the daughter of the their high Oma which is what they call their First Who Serve the Mother".</p><p>All of a sudden, Rahala said, "Echozar, did they say how long ago this girl was found and was it after an earthquake"?!</p>
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<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Chapter 40</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Echozar answered, "Yes, it was after an earthquake. They had been looking for a new cave as theirs had been destroyed in the same quake".</p><p>Rahala turned to Dathan and cried, "Oh Dathan, do you think it could be our Avanala?</p><p>Dathan said shakily, "Did they say what the girl's name was or what she told them about her past"?</p><p>Echozar answered, "They called her Ayla. But that's probably a shortened version of the name she told them. The clan use very few words. Names are one or two syllables. And they said the girl didn't remember anything about her past. But her adopted sister told me that she would sometimes have nightmares about earthquakes. Why do you ask?</p><p>Rahala sobbed as she answered, "Nerak and Naveah had an older sister Avanala. She was five years old when the earthquake happened. I was newly pregnant with Nerak at the time. We were traveling through the territory that was said to be the land of the First People. There were some medicinal plants that I needed that I knew grew there. Avanala had left the tent to play by the stream. Dathan and I were still in the tent. The quake started, I heard her calling for me, but the tent fell in a crack in the earth. We were both knocked out, I'm not sure how long. But I could still see sunlight shining through the opening of the hole. My leg and arm were broken. Dathan was deeply unconscious, I couldn't rouse him.</p><p>I'm not sure how long we laid there. I called for her but she didn't answer. The Mother was looking after us though. Some young people were traveling nearby on a Journey. They heard our calls for help, but there were not enough of them to carry us to safety where we could get help and look for her at the same time. Dathan had still not regained consciousness. We had people go back and look for her, but they never found her".</p><p>Echozar said, "Come with me to the Mamutoi. I think she may have went in that direction. Perhaps together we can find her".</p>
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<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Chapter 41</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the group continued to travel toward Mamutoi territory. Dathan and Rahala went on to tell Echozar some more about what had happened with them after their oldest child had been lost to them. They had taken a chance and had returned to Rahala's native people. They had hoped that her mother who was one of the most talented of those who serve the mother could do a Search and perhaps find out what had happened to their daughter. Or to try to guide the girl's spirit to the next world if she had indeed perished. Rahala knew that her mother was angry with her for not staying and becoming an acolyte when she had ran off with Dathan.</p><p>Her mother had been rather stern to them. Telling Rahala if she had stayed, there would have been other people around that could have helped them and looked for their daughter both. She did do a spirit Journey for them. Her Search kept being blocked by Cave Lions and Cave Bears in the spirit world. And she could not locate her granddaughter's spirit. She begged Rahala to stay once she gave birth to her second child. But they had went back to the nomadic life after Nerak was born. They often asked people that they met on their journeys if they had ever heard of a lost child.</p><p>Finally they arrived at the area of the Mamutoi Summer Meeting. The First Camp they came to was rather a slovenly looking camp. And the people as well. A man came up to them with a displeased look on his face.</p><p>The man said, "I'm Chaleg, the leader of this camp. Who are you and why in the name of the Mother's Underworld have you brought an abomination into this camp"?</p><p>Rahala sniffed and said, "What's an abomination is this camp. If you're talking about our companion. He's a person and his name is Echozar. Look, we are only trying to find some information and then we'll be on our way".</p><p>Chaleg said, "I don't care what you call it or what you want. I'm not a flathead lover like those idiots at Lion Camp. Why don't you go to them".</p><p>Dathan said sarcastically, "Just point the way. We're so underwhelmed by your hospitality".</p>
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<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Chapter 42</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Echozar, Rahala, Dathan and their children were rather rudely directed by Chaleg to the Lion Camp. Unlike Chaleg's camp, which had trash laying around everywhere, Lion camp was very clean and tidy. As they approached they saw several interesting looking people. A giant bear of a man with flaming red hair, a boy who looked very much like him including his size. A tall formidable looking woman. A man about Echozar's own age who had brown skin. A man who had to be one of the oldest people that Rahala and Dathan had every seen. Although Echozar thought that Jerika's man of hearth Hochaman had been quite old as well. There was a plump motherly looking woman and standing near her along with some other children was a boy who was mixed, like Echozar.</p><p>Dathan held up his hand in greeting and said in Mamutoi, "I am Dathan, this is my mate Rahala and our children Nerak and Naveah. We belong to a people called the Wanderers. Our traveling companion is Echozar, formerly of the Lanzadonii people".</p><p>The big redheaded man returned the greeting, "I am Talut, headman of Lion Camp. This is my sister Tulie, who is headwoman. This is Mamut, who serves the Mother in this camp. And this is my mate Nezzie and her children. What brings you to our Summer Meeting"?</p><p>Dathan and Rahala told their story starting with the account of how their oldest daughter had been lost to them. Echozar then told an edited version of his story about him coming to the clan of Brun. He noticed the elderly shaman looked thoughtful when he started talking about the clan. He noticed the little mixed boy hanging on his every word.</p><p>Rahala brought up the question that was on their minds, "Has a young woman who calls herself Ayla come through your lands? Echozar thought she may have come this way".</p><p>Echozar added, "If she hasn't been here. The clan Mogur has described a valley from his visions when he tried to do a spirit search for her. Perhaps some of you may have seen a valley like this".</p>
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<a name="section0043"><h2>43. Chapter 43</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Echozar stooped down to be on eye level with young Rydag. He signed a greeting to him. It was like a light went off in the little mixed boy's eyes. He haltingly made a gesture similar to that one but modified as a child would greet an adult. And then he smiled the biggest smile he ever had in his life.</p><p>The woman Talut had called Nezzie asked, "What were those gestures you two made"?</p><p>Echozar answered, "It's the way people of the clan, what most call flatheads, speak. They can only make a limited number of vocal sounds. It's hard to explain, but as a child that's part clan, he was born with a memory of how to talk with his hands. I greeted him to see if he had the memory and he did. Excuse me if I'm being rude, but was he born to someone in your group"?</p><p>Nezzie answered, "We were on a hunting trip. We had noticed that a flat-, I'm sorry, a clan woman who was following us. She was heavily pregnant. I helped her when she gave birth to her child, but then she died. I was nursing my youngest daughter Rugie at the time, so I started nursing him as well. I've worried about him not being able to speak, although he understands our speech. He also has a problem, a sickness with his heart as well".</p><p>Rydag pulled on Echozar's sleeve to get his attention. He pointed to Nezzie with a questioning but loving look in his eyes. Echozar believed he knew the word the boy wanted to be reminded of in his memories. He showed him the gesture and then Rydag made the gesture to Nezzie.</p><p>Nezzie asked, "What did he say"?</p><p>Echozar answered, "He wanted to know the sign for mother. He called you mother".</p><p>Nezzie hugged her little adopted son with tears in her eyes. She then said, "Can you teach me how to call him son with my hands and how to understand all of his hand words"?</p><p>Echozar answered, "I will teach you all I can before we have to move on to keep searching for Ayla. I was hoping your Mamut could help us do a spirit journey to try to find her".</p><p>The old shaman said, "I will help you. We must have a feast tonight. I have an important story I need to tell all of you. Not just our newcomers. I now believe I know why I've been allowed to live this long. It's for this very moment".</p>
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<a name="section0044"><h2>44. Chapter 44</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Note: I don't have a copy of Mammoth Hunters in front of me, so I hope I'm remembering Mamut's story right. I know that he told Ayla he recalled Creb and Brun as children. Even though that seemed to contradict what what Creb had told Ayla about the "man of the Others".</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the feast, everyone sat down around Mamut to hear his tale. He started speaking, "When I was younger, a few years past my 30th year. I felt compelled to go on a journey. It's not something I ever wanted to do before. But my mate had died. Since we had mated so young, our children were adults. Still I left all my worldly goods with them to take care of them. I felt like the Mother herself wanted me to go on this journey. I ended up on the peninsula. Where we usually avoided because we knew it was flat-, I mean clan territory. One day, I took a bad fall. I knew my arm was hurt very badly when I landed and then I hit my head on a rock and knocked myself out. When I awoke, I was in terrible pain, my broken bone in my arm was sticking out of the skin. And I was also confused because of my head injury. I could still walk, so I thought I better keep moving in case a predator would see me as an easy kill. At some point, I saw a cave opening, I staggered in. And saw the oddest looking people I had ever seen in my life. And then I passed out.</p><p>When I awoke, I could tell my arm had been splinted. I hurt, but not as bad as I expected it to. I reached up with my good hand and felt my head had been bandaged with a soft skin. Then someone came into my field of vision. It was a woman and she was who we called a flathead. I was very startled, but I was too weak to do anything about it. She held a cup out to me and helped me sit up and gave me water. Then she had me drink from another cup. It tasted bitter, but I recognized it was a medicinal tea like ones our own healers made. I was very surprised, I didn't know they practiced healing. In fact we had always believed they were just very intelligent animals.</p><p>The woman walked away and when she returned she had 2 men with her. One of the men looked older than the other. The younger man tapped his chest and said "Brov", then he pointed to the older man and said, what sounded like "Rom, Mogur", then he pointed to the woman and said, "Uba". At least that's what it sounded like he said, the sounds were very gutteral. I felt like he meant their names and when he pointed to me, I told him my name was Tevek. Brov said Tev in response. Then he made some more sounds and I noticed he seemed to be waving his hands around. I didn't understand what they were trying to communicate to me.</p><p>Later on, Rom came back with Uba. He held up a cup, made a sound and waved his hands around. He repeated this and this time he made the gestures very exaggerated and more forceful. It finally dawned on me that the sound and the gestures went together. It was difficult because I could only make the gestures one handed, but I slowly started learning their unusual language.</p><p>I started getting to know the different members of the clan. Brov was the leader. He had ended up becoming leader at a fairly young age because the leader before him was killed on a hunt. His mate was Oza, she was a medicine woman or as we say a healer and the daughter of the older medicine Uba who had taken care of me. Oza had a son about 4 years named Creb who was born with a crippled arm and leg. Then there was a younger boy who was strong and healthy named Brun. Besides Oza, Uba had a son named Norv. The man Rom was, as I came to understand their holy man. He had a mate named Ama who had twin sons. There was an older woman named Epa who helped Uba care for me".</p><p>Echozar said, "Some of those names sound familiar to me. The clan I came from has a leader named Brun. Whose older brother Creb was crippled and their holy man. And their medicine woman Uba was the granddaughter of Oza and the namesake of Oza's mother.</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Here is a hearth listing of the members of Brov's clan who mamut stayed with when he was younger. When Creb and Brun were children.</p><p>Brov-leader<br/>Oza-younger medicine woman, will also be mother to Iza<br/>Creb-about 4 and 1/2<br/>Brun-not quite a year old</p><p>Dorg-second in command to leader before Brov, previous mate died<br/>Ina-mother of Brov, previous mate died and she was given to Dorg<br/>Aba-orphan girl from other clan who will mate Norv, son of medicine woman Uba, Aba is future mother of Aga</p><p>Rom-Mogur, will be Creb's mentor<br/>Ama-will also be mother to Goov's mother Iva<br/>Dorn and Virg- twin sons, Dorn will mate Oga's mother Ima and Virg will mate Crug's mother Agra</p><p>Crev<br/>Uba-older medicine woman<br/>Norv-</p><p>Zoug-next in line to be second, son of Dorg's previous mate<br/>Ola-<br/>Uma-just a little older than Creb, Uma's mother Ola helped nurse Creb while Oza recovered, Uma will mate into other clan when older<br/>Grod-newborn</p><p>Voog-toolmaker<br/>Ela-will also be mother to Droog<br/>Arda</p><p>Tarv<br/>Uda-will also be mother to Uka and Verm<br/>Ebra-newborn (although not known to anyone, Brov is her biological father)</p><p>Dorv-newly mated to Iba after previous mate and children died<br/>Iba-daughter of Ina, sibling of Brov, Iba will eventually be mother of Kurn (Aga's mate) and Ika</p><p>Sarg<br/>Oma-will also be mother to Oga's mother Ima<br/>Agra-will be Crug's mother</p><p>Epa-childless woman from other clan whose mate had died</p>
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<a name="section0045"><h2>45. Chapter 45</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mamut continued his story, "When I recovered enough. I was allowed to go hunting with the men. The way they hunt, as you've probably discovered is very different than how we hunt. One method they use quite often but not all the time is to chase the prey until it's tired and then kill with a thrust spear. It really gave me an appreciation for their strength and endurance. I tried to show them how I hunt, but they had problems with it. The joints and muscles in their arms are a bit different than ours. They also used bolas and pit traps as well".</p><p>Echozar nodded and said with Dathan or Rahala translating for him, "Yes, but before I left Brun's clan. I had been working with them to try to find ways to compensate so they could throw the spears. I had each of them try different ways of throwing it so they could each find what worked for them. But they said they are still going to hunt their way part of the time, so they don't lose that skill. And their other hunting methods as well. Brun in particular is very proficient with a bola. And an older man Zoug is a master sling user".</p><p>Mamut smiled at hearing this and continued talking, "You've worked wonders then as it's difficult for them to learn new things. But once they do learn, they never forget. Their mogur or as we would say, holy man told me how they are all born knowing everything they need to know to live. The memories are all stored in their brains. But it's got to the point where they can hardly learn new things because it makes the babies have bigger heads which causes many of the children and mothers to die".</p><p>Echozar said, "I was told that one thing the current medicine woman has done for at least one birth is to make a clean cut with a knife to give the babies head more room. That cut would heal easier than a jagged tear. And the baby can be born before it causes a danger to the mother and child".</p><p>Mamut nodded and said, "That would have been helpful when the boy Creb was born. The mogur told me his head was so big that he was stuck in the birth canal for too long. It caused permanant damage which partially paralyzed his right side.</p><p>The mogur Rom and I also had long talks about their spiritual beliefs. About how they honored Ursus. They let me take part in a ceremony with them where I saw how our 2 peoples started as the same but then branched away from each other. I have to say, my experiences with the clan renewed my interest in the spiritual side of serving the mother. I had taken the training and could perform the ceremonies, but mostly I was a Caller or a Searcher.</p><p>As I said before, there was an older woman named Epa who helped care for me when I was injured. Then she was given to me to be the woman of my temporary hearth. To cook and care for my needs. Including my needs for Pleasures. I think she enjoyed our time together as I did. Her former mate who had died was never kind to her. They had come from another cave and she never had any children. He had always told her she was worthless. When he died she was traded from hearth to hearth because she had no children. I thought about bringing her back with me. But I don't think she would have been happy. And my people wouldn't have understood. It's only in this particular camp that people try to understand that Rydag is a person, although one of mixed spirits. I've often wondered what became of Epa, or as I called her Eppie".</p><p>Zar hesitated for moment and said, "From what I've been told she was alive until about 10 years ago. The cave that they lived in which I believe was the same one you remembered was destroyed in an earthquake. The same earthquake before Brun's clan found Ayla. Epa and about 5 others were killed in the cave in. There's something else Brun told me. Of course it was told to him since he was just a child at the time. Epa gave birth to a daughter after you left. Even though she had never been able to have a child before. But the child was deformed and she disposed of it. I wondered if perhaps she was not deformed but rather was mixed if she was born of your spirit. The only person still alive who was old enough to remember was Zoug. He said that's probably true based on what they understand now about children of mixed spirits. But that she did seem to have other weaknesses according to the medicine woman that could have caused her to die young anyway".</p><p>Mamut seemed quite sad at hearing about the deaths of the woman he cared about and the lost child of his spirit.</p>
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<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Chapter 46</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After a few moments of silence, Mamut started speaking again, "Echozar, you said Creb went on to be their next Mogur? I remember him. A very intelligent child. I fixed him up a new walking staff while I was there. When his old one broke".</p><p>Echozar nodded, "Yes, the Mogur before him chose Creb as his acolyte after Ursus himself marked Creb as his own. But this resulted in more physical issues for Creb. He was by himself and was attacked by a angry cave bear. The lower part of his bad arm was crushed. And the bear tore his left eye out. Creb's mother Oza had to amputate the injured part of his weak arm. The Mogur took this as a sign that Ursus meant Creb to be his acolyte. He was considered to be the greatest Mogur of all of their clans. There was a clan far to the west of here who even knew of him. And to Ayla, the lost child of Dathan and Rahala here, he was her man of hearth. Creb's sibling Iza was the medicine woman who took Ayla in a raised her as her own daughter and they lived at Creb's hearth".</p><p>Echozar then looked at Dathan and Rahala and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't think how that last part might sound to you".</p><p>Rahala smiled and said, "No Echozar, it's all right. If Ayla is indeed our Avanala. I'm glad she found a family who loved and care for her".</p><p>Rahala then turned to Mamut and said, "We were hoping you could help us do a spirit search for Ayla. Echozar told us that the current Mogur of their clan saw a vision of a valley in the cold steppes to the north where he thinks she might have gone, but he can't tell where it is. I will help you on this search. I trained under my mother who was the high Oma of the Terranoma people".</p><p>Mamut nodded, "Yes I will do this. I believe even more strongly that it is what I'm meant to do".</p><p>All of a sudden, little Rydag collapsed where he had been sitting next to Nezzie during the story telling. Nezzie gathered her adopted son up in her arms. He was pale and clammy, his breathing labored.</p>
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<a name="section0047"><h2>47. Chapter 47</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rahala rushed over to where Nezzie was cradling Rydag. She said, "Nezzie, I trained as a healer with my mother. May I take a look at him"? Nezzie nodded and laid the little boy down on a fur.</p><p>Rahala listened to his heart and breathing and checked for other signs like fluid retention in his legs. She retrieved some medicines from her pack and put them into a cup of hot water that Nezzie had brought to her. She propped the boy up and brought the cup to his lips. He was still enough at himself that he was able to swallow it.</p><p>After a while he became more conscious. Rahala motioned for Echozar to come over to translate any clan signs the boy might make. She noticed that his pulse had regulated and his breathing was less labored. She told him and everyone listening that the medicine might make him pass water more than usual to keep his lungs free from fluid.</p><p>She turned and spoke to Nezzie and Talut, "I've given him what I would normally give a person who was experiencing these heart symptoms. But with his mixed spirit nature. I think it's even more important we find Ayla as soon as possible. She trained under a clan medicine woman and might know some remedies that would work better for him".</p><p>Mamut said, "Rahala, you and Echozar join me to make the spirit journey as soon as you feel safe to leave the child".</p><p>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>A while later the 3 of them entered their spirit trance. Echozar had descibed the valley that Goov had seen in his vision. As their spirits left the area they were in they traveled over the landscape until finally they found the valley. Rahala saw a young woman who greatly resembled herself when she was young. She was alone in her valley. She was brushing a partly grown horse of all things with a teasle stalk. There was an opening of a small cave nearby on the hill side.</p><p>They came out of their spirit trance. Mamut asked for a skin and a piece of charcoal and sketched a crude map to show how to get to the valley on it.</p><p>Talut said that he would accompany the travelers and they would leave at first light.</p>
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<a name="section0048"><h2>48. Chapter 48</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The travelers had been on the move for several days when they came to the valley that Mamut had directed them to. As they came into the view of the valley they could see a young woman working by herself dressed in the shapeless wraps that clan women wore.</p><p>Echozar said, "Maybe it would be better if I approach her by myself first. I'm the one that can speak clan language. I know that the 2 of you are anxious to find out if it is your daughter. But we don't want to give her too many surprises at first".</p><p>Dathan and Rahala both nodded with tears in their eyes.</p><p>Echozar made his way down to where the young woman was working. She stayed where she was sitting with her head lowered. As a a good clan woman would. He tapped her shoulder and he signed a clan greeting in silent formal language with only his name being spoken, "I am Echozar of No People. I greet you".</p><p>Ayla had been surprised to see this man walk into her valley who looked so much like what her son would look like when older. She returned the greeting, "I am Ayla, also of No People".</p><p>Echozar could tell she was refraining from mentioning something. He suspected she didn't want to mention the death curse. Fearing he would refuse to a see her if she did. He decided not to wait to get to the business at hand.</p><p>He started, "Ayla, your clan wants you to come home. Goov and Brun said to tell you that the curse was broken by Ursus himself. When the rocks fell and crushed the bones used to set the curse with".</p><p>Ayla could detect no deception in his body language. She said, "I do want to come home to be with my son. Even if I have to put up with Broud. But wait, you said Brun said I could come home. Is Broud dead"?</p><p>Echozar answered, "No. But Brun desposed him as leader. He became out of control. He tried to hurt a baby girl simply because she was named after you. Brun named another man who joined from another clan as his heir and gave Oga to him as a second woman so Brac might still be eligible to be leader some day. Then Broud tried to abduct Oga. They decided to try a ceremony to drive the bad spirits out of his mind. They didn't want to death curse him except as a last resort. The ceremony drove out the bad spirits but it also took many years of his memory with it. He woke up thinking it was just past his weaning year. He doesn't remember you and from what I understand his personality is different. He's still somewhat like a child. Eager to please and friendly. Although they said he's relearning everything he has to".</p><p>Ayla said with humor in her voice, "Broud is eager to please and friendly. Well, I suppose there's a first time for everything. Yes, I will go back with you. But where ever we go, I must insist that no one hurt my horses. I have raised 2 baby horses. One is about a year old and I just took in another. They have been my only companions for the past turning of the seasons. You are the the first person I have seen in a long time".</p><p>She whistled, and 2 young horses came into view. Echozar was taken aback at how they went up to her and let her touch them. He said, "I promise that I will let people know where ever we go that they are off limits. Ayla, I've brought some other people with me who want to meet you. May I go get them and bring them back your camp"?</p><p>Ayla said, "Yes you may bring them. But first. My son is doing well isn't he? And the others in the clan".</p><p>Echozar answered, "Yes, Durc is doing well. He is acolyte to Goov now. Training to be a Mogur. And the clan is doing well. There has been only one death. An older woman named Aba. All of the younger women have had new babies except Ika who was still nursing her last child. Even your sister Uba and Goov's mate Ovra have both had twins".</p><p>Ayla sighed, "I am so pleased to hear all that. I'm sad about Aba of course. Can you give me an idea who these people are that you want me to meet. Are they clan"?</p><p>Echozar said, "No, they are of the Others. This means I will have to translate when you and they speak to each other. You see, the Others only speak with mouth sounds, not signs like Clan people do. I can speak both ways. Now, as to who they are. Ayla, I think they might be your birth people"?</p><p>Ayla shook her head, "No, that can't be possible. When the earth started shaking, they were in the tent and the earth opened up and swallowed the tent. I was afraid to stay in that area lest the earth swallow me as well, so I ran away from there".</p><p>Echozar said, "My companions have told me that they were in a tent that fell into a hole while their young daughter was out playing along the water. They were not killed, but they were both injured and rendered unconscious. When the woman finally came to she called for her daughter, but some time had passed. Her mate was still deeply unconscious. Finally a couple of people who were on a journey came along and heard her weakening cries and got them out. But there was not enough people to carry them for medical help and look for their daughter as well. They sent back others later but there was no sign of her. Ayla, I truly believe you were that child. They said her name was Avanala. I can see the clan shortening it to Ayla. They call me Zar by the way. Now will you let me go get them so you can meet them"?</p><p>Ayla took a deep breath and nodded.</p><p>Ayla walked toward the group that Zar brought back with him. He had went ahead and explained about the horses. A woman, 2 children and 2 men were waiting to meet her. One of the men was the biggest person she had ever seen with a shock of red hair. She looked at the woman and right away she could see the resemblance to her own reflection she had seen in the water. The woman's eyes were wet with un-shed tears and she said just one word, "Avanala"?</p><p>Ayla knew that voice, she had heard it in her dreams. She had not spoken fully verbally for quite some time except for the game of sounds she had played with Durc. So it was difficult but she managed the word, "Mother"?</p><p>The woman fell into her arms then she looked back at Echozar to come and translate her words, "My daughter, my first baby, I've finally found you".</p><p>Ayla said, "I'm sorry I ran from the campsite, we might not have been separated if I had stayed".</p><p>Rahala said, "No child. You might have fallen in the hole yourself and been hurt and you couldn't have gotten us out. You did what you had to do to survive. Come, Dathan wants to see you and I want you to meet your younger siblings Nerak and Naveah".</p><p>Ayla also embraced her man of hearth Dathan and greeted her siblings.</p><p>Echozar introduced her to the other man, "This is Talut, he is the headman of the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi people, the Mammoth Hunters. His mate Nezzie adopted a boy who is part clan like me and your son Durc. The boy's name is Rydag and he was born with a weakness of the heart and he recently had a bad spell with it. Your mother left some medicine that should help him until we get back. But she thought that since you had trained under a clan medicine woman that you might be able to help him better. I've told Talut and the others about your horses and he promised that he would see that no harm comes to them among his people".</p><p>Ayla nodded and said, "I will come to the Mamutoi and examine Rydag before we go to the clan".</p><p>Echozar added, "Another interesting person you will meet from the Mamutoi is their holy man. When he was younger, he was the man of the Others who spent some time with your clan".</p><p>Ayla looked shocked, "But how can that be? How can he be that old? He was there when Creb was a child and Creb was an old man when he died".</p><p>Echozar shrugged, "I think Others live longer. But he's still unnaturally old for one of them as well. You will see and hear many things that are different and what you are not used to. But we will be with you".</p>
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<a name="section0049"><h2>49. Chapter 49</h2></a>
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    <p>When the group settled down for an evening meal so they could rest and leave the next day, Ayla asked, "Zar, how did you come to meet Brun's clan and then they sent you to find me"?</p><p>Echozar answered, speaking and signing at the same time for all present, "I was born to a clan woman called Yoma far to the west of here. She was banished when I was born and it was seen that I was mixed, deformed to the clan. Thankfully she was taken in by a kind man of the Others named Andovan before she perished from trying to make it on her own. From my mother and my memories, I knew of the Clan. And I knew the ways of the Others from Andovan. Then when I was older, they both died. I was so sick with grief I wanted to die as well. But another kind man of the Others took me in.</p><p>His name was Dalanar, he was leader of his own group called the Lanzadonii. His mate was Jerika and her daughter was Joplaya. I was fond of Joplaya right from the start and she was fond of me and she agreed to mate me even though she desired another who it was forbidden for her to mate. His name was Jondalar and he was her close cousin".</p><p>For Ayla's benefit he explained, "Close cousins mean the same man of hearth but different mothers and among the Others it is a relationship that is forbidden for mating just like siblings. So I knew she didn't feel as much for me as I did for her. But I was happy enough. She gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Hochovan and Zarika. Things went well for a few years. And then Jondalar came to visit his former man of hearth. There was a feast and people were drinking things that altered their mood and behavior. Jondalar and Joplaya had impaired judgement and they relieved their needs with one another.</p><p>There was a big scandal about it. Jondalar had to leave. And Joplaya was being shunned by everyone except her family. A while later we were asked to leave after Dalanar, Jerika and some others died after an epidemic swept through our land. Eventually we encountered a clan group led by a man named Guban. Guban's Mogur told me to find the clan and the acolyte of Mogur One Eye. And when I did that my totem would be revealed to me and I would hunt for the Lioness".</p><p>Ayla's eyes widened with surprise at that.</p><p>Echozar continued, "Joplaya died after a while in an accidental drowning. She had been unhappy after we encountered Jondalar again and she saw he was happy mated to another woman. Then me and the children kept traveling until we came to Brun's clan who had just killed a mammoth. I speared a dirk tooth tiger who had been stalking them. And eventually they told me your story and how they wanted you to return. Also, the spirits are trying to get them to start honoring the chief spirit of the Others who is known as the Mother. She is Mother of all, even clan. But they forgot about her eons ago.</p><p>So I set out on my journey to find you and I encountered your family here and then we made it to the Mamutoi where we did a spirit search to find you. And here we all are".</p>
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<a name="section0050"><h2>50. Chapter 50</h2></a>
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    <p>Here is an interlude with the clan</p><p>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Brun's clan was very excited. A new cave opening had been discovered that had been overlooked before because the entrance had been completely obscured with brush and rocks. It had been found when some of the boys had been clearing the brush to use for firewood. The entrance itself was rather small and it was closer to the bottom of the mountain than the one they lived in. But the chambers inside seemed to have plenty of room. And with a little work the rocks could be cleared away. While there was not a spring inside the cave there was one nearby. Brun believed having a new cave nearby would be beneficial when they out-grew the one they lived in now. With so many new children that was a forgone conclusion. He thought maybe Zar and his children might want to stay in the new cave if they decided to remain here. He also had the thought that maybe Zar would make a good mate for Ayla if she came back to them.</p><p>Uba was working on organizing her medical supplies when Ika walked up to her hearth stones and requested to come in. She sat down and said, "Uba, I think I might be expecting again but I'm not sure. I've had my woman's curse but it's been very light and irregular. But today I was working with Igra and she bumped into my breasts and they are sore. I know I'm getting a bit old to have another".</p><p>Uba said, "Aga was older than you when she had her last. And my mother had me late as well. I noticed you going to your isolation but not staying long. I wondered if perhaps you were becoming irregular with age. But sometimes women can have spotting when they are pregnant. Ayla did. Actually hers was a bit more than spotting. What about other symptoms, nausea or fatigue"?</p><p>Ika shooked her no.</p><p>Uba examined her and then told her, "Yes Ika, I believe you are pregnant. I think you may be far enough along that you conceived around the time the mammoth was killed. Around the time Zar and the children arrived. Wouldn't it be a coincidence if the child was born of his spirit. Brun said that no child like that would be disposed of anymore".</p><p>Ika answered, "I would still worry though. It's been the clan way for so long. It's good my little Dorv is mostly weaned now. He should be completely weaned by the time this child is born".</p><p>She then sighed and looked around to make sure no one saw her, "I hope I have another little girl. Igra will be a woman and mated in a few turnings of the season and I will miss our time working together and everything. Soon, you will be able to teach your daughters about healing and what luck having 2 of them who can become medicine women".</p><p>Uba nodded, "Yes, and I'm teaching little Zika also. And she is taking to it so well. Like Ayla did when our mother taught her".</p><p>Uba then looked a little sad and said, "Oh Ika, how I hope and pray to my totem that Zar will be able to find Ayla and bring her home. I miss her so much, and unlike mother and Creb, she can come back. And Durc misses her so much. I know he loves Vorn and me and we love him. But sometimes the way he thinks is so different and we don't always understand him. It's some better now that he has Ovan, Zika and Ura to talk to but he needs his mother".</p><p>Ika patted Uba's hand and said, "I hope he finds her too".</p>
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<a name="section0051"><h2>51. Chapter 51</h2></a>
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    <p>Echozar's group made it back to the site of the Mamutoi summer meeting. Talut had arrived ahead of them to make sure everyone understood about the horses. He told 2 of the men of his camp to make sure no one bothered them. Nezzie hurried over to the group as soon as she saw them and said, "I'm so glad you are all back. Rydag is doing worse. Is this Ayla, can she help"?</p><p>Rahala said, "Yes, we've found her. What has happened with Rydag''?</p><p>Nezzie answered sorrowfully, "Some of the other children here at the meeting started taunting him when he and Rugie were out walking around. Calling him an animal and an abomination. They started chasing them. I think it was children from Chaleg's group who were the ringleaders, but ones from all the camps joined in. The running brought on an attack. That's bad enough, but he won't take his medicine. He's just curled up in his furs and won't look at anyone".</p><p>Echozar was translating all of this for Ayla as Nezzie was speaking. She was fuming with anger that these people could do this to a child. Zar had explained to her as they were traveling about the attitudes that some (the majority of) of the Others had of clan and mixed people. Ayla asked to be taken to Rydag.</p><p>Ayla, Rahala and Echozar were taken to where Rydag was laying. Nezzie had propped him up to make it easier for him to breathe, but he wouldn't look at them until Ayla took his face in her hands and turned it toward her and said, "Rydag, I know you are sad and upset. But you must take your medicine. Let me examine you".</p><p>He shook his head and gestured, "It's no use. I'm just an animal abomination and no one will ever believe anything else. It would be better if I just died".</p><p>Ayla said, "I have a son who is just like you. I'm not going to let anyone call him those names and I'm going to tell anyone who says it to you what I think of them also. Now please, let me try to help you. If not for your sake, then for your mother Nezzie. She's so worried about you".</p><p>Rydag looked at Nezzie who was silently sobbing and then nodded.</p><p>With Echozar as a translator. Ayla and her mother finished examining the child. Ayla prescribed a slightly different blend of medicines at different strengths. Later on in the day, the boy started improving.</p>
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<a name="section0052"><h2>52. Chapter 52</h2></a>
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    <p>When Rydag had recovered enough to rest comfortably, Ayla went and spoke to Nezzie and Talut with her family and Echozar translating, "His condition has stabilized for now. It's not something that can be cured but perhaps we can manage his symptoms with the right medicines. And making sure he's not treated like he was by those children. If something like this emotional upset happens again, it could be very bad. He exerted himself trying to get away from his tormentors and and the emotional upset made him want to give up. Can the parents of these children tell them not to do this again"?</p><p>Talut said, " I've talked to my sister Tulie after we got back. She made a formal complaint. Some parents might get their children to not do this again. But it won't do any good for the others, because the Mamutoi people don't recognize Rydag as a true person. It's only in Lion Camp that we've come to understand that he is."</p><p>Ayla was angry when she answered, "Not a person! If they think clan are animals, then why do they not hunt them for food or wear their skins? They know clan are people but they say they are an abomination and something repulsive to justify treating them like this.</p><p>Perhaps it would be best if Rydag came back with us. With the changes going on in Brun's clan, I believe he would be accepted. Also my adopted sister Uba is a clan medicine woman. It's possible she may know of other remedies that will work better".</p><p>Ayla turned back to Rydag and gestured, "Would you like to come with us"?</p><p>He answered, "I think I would. But I would miss everyone so much. Especially Nezzie''.</p><p>Nezzie said, "I would miss you too".</p><p>She then said to Talut, "Couldn't we go with him? Couldn't we go and live there''?</p><p>Talut answered, "I'm not sure if we can just leave like that. I'm head man of Lion Camp after all. Plus I'm not sure we can just show up in Brun's territory without asking permission from him. No, Nezzie, I'm sorry we can't leave but perhaps we could visit them later on".</p><p>Echozar said, ''I will ask Brun if it would be alright to bring your family back for a visit. Perhaps in the spring or summer''.</p><p>Dathan said, "Rahala and I and our children could come back and tell you if it's alright for you to come. We are used to traveling<br/>frequently after all''.</p><p>Mamut spoke up, "Well, I for one am going with them now. I'm going to see the descendants of the clan that took me in once more before I die. I was meditating and I believe I am supposed to help them rediscover the Mother. I am going to ask the young man I've been training to take over for me''.</p>
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<a name="section0053"><h2>53. Chapter 53</h2></a>
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    <p>When news got out that Mamut was preparing to leave with the newcomers back to clan territory. A crowd had gathered outside of Lion Camp. Some of the the other shamans had asked to speak to Mamut, to try to change his mind about leaving. One of them stated, "How can you even think about leaving your own people to go to those... creatures who are not even human"?</p><p>Another one of them said, "Why did you never say anything about this before now? Why not when Nezzie took in that mixed spirit...child"?</p><p>Mamut sighed and said, "I have no excuse for never saying anything before now. Other than I suspected how everyone would act about it. I can see I've been proven right. Even if I wasn't leaving. I believe I'm old enough to have earned the right to retire from active service. And I'm choosing how to spend the time I have left helping the ones who helped me all those years ago".</p><p>Some people from Chaleg's camp started shouting, "Well then leave, good riddance and take the rest of these abominations with you. Someone was listening outside the tent when it was translated that this girl Ayla gave birth to an abomination. All of Lion Camp should leave". Some other people in the crowd started cheering at that suggestion.</p><p>After discussing it with Tulie, Talut decided to leave the general area of the summer meeting to avoid an ugly scene. He knew that he could not uproot his family from Mamutoi territory completely. Then he decided he would wait until the spring when Dathan and Rahala came back to let them know if it was OK if they visited Brun's territory to see Rydag and Mamut.</p><p>The next morning, the travelers left. The adults took turns pulling Mamut and Rydag on a travois. Sometimes Dathan or Echozar would let Rydag ride on their shoulders. They hoped to be back to Brun's clan very soon.</p><p>When the group of travelers had stopped for a mid-day meal. Ayla brought up something that had been troubling her, "Zar, while I was on my own. I had to teach myself to hunt with a spear and a pit trap. There was no other way I could get a large animal in order to have enough food for the winter. What do you think the clan will think of that? Do you think they will believe they have to curse me again. I don't think I can go through that again".</p><p>Zar answered, "I believe they will accept it. They are trying to change their ways to be more in step with the Mother. I don't think a full clan women could learn to hunt. But perhaps the ones who are mixed might. Like Ura, the girl who will mate your son Durc. The daughter of my former mate already hunts small animals just like her sibling does".</p><p>I will speak to Brun on your behalf when we get back if it will set your mind at ease. They know that cursing you was not right and that you are capable of learning and teaching yourself new things. And that Ursus himself broke the curse. Perhaps you broke the curse yourself by refusing to accept it. Goov found out in his meditations that one thing they must do to please the Mother is to try to treat women more fairly".</p><p>Rahala spoke up, "Ayla, you don't have to stay with the clan. You can come with us. You and Durc both. We love you and we have missed you for so long".</p><p>Ayla sighed and said, "No mother. I'm sorry, but Durc has a future with the clan and I'm going to stay with my son while he's growing up. Creb said something one time what I've come to believe is that children like Durc and Ura are the future of the clan".</p><p>Dathan said, "We will not move so far away from this territory then. So we can see each other often".</p>
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<a name="section0054"><h2>54. Chapter 54</h2></a>
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    <p>The group of travelers had finally made it back to the region of Brun's cave. Mamut, Rydag, and Ayla's family had agreed to stay behind at their camp until Echozar and Ayla could speak to Brun and the others. She had told the horses to stay and they obeyed her. Brun and Goov were standing by themselves talking when they walked up. Most everyone else were off working somewhere.</p><p>Clan people didn't smile, Ayla could tell that Brun and Goov were very pleased by the look in their expressive eyes. Although Echozar had told her that the clan no longer required women to lower themselves to the ground and beg for permission to speak. She felt that what she had to tell them required the utmost respect and following of customs.</p><p>Brun took her arm and raised her to her feet and said, "Ayla, you don't have to do that to speak to us. Has Echozar told you that we are trying to follow the wishes of the Mother now, as Ursus wishes"?</p><p>Ayla answered, "Yes, he has told me about the changes. But there is something I must tell you. When I was on my own I knew that I would not survive the winter if I was not able to kill a large animal. I needed a large hide and other things as well as meat. I knew I couldn't kill one with a sling. So I killed a horse using a pit trap and a spear I had made for myself. I knew how to make one from watching the men of the clan when they made theirs. I know you only gave me permission to hunt with a sling but I saw no other way I could survive the winter. And since all of you believed me dead. I didn't feel it mattered. I knew I was alive and this was the only way I could guarantee that I stayed that way".</p><p>Brun spoke, "Ayla, we have come to realize from talking to Zar and from things that Goov has discovered from his meditations that as an Others person that you can learn things and teach yourself things. I'm not going to curse you with death for following your own nature or any other punishment.</p><p>For the clan change has become very difficult. The world is changing and we are having great difficulty changing with it. But Ursus and the Mother want us to try".</p><p>Goov spoke up, "In my meditations it was revealed to me that children like Durc and Ura are the best hope for the clan. They have our memories but they also have the ability to learn new things like the Others".</p><p>Ayla nodded and said, "That sounds like something that Creb said to me before he died. Something about Durc being the son of the whole clan".</p><p>She then changed subjects, "I have more surprising things to tell you. Echozar located my birth family. They didn't die in an earthquake as I had come to believe. Because I was wandering alone after an earthquake that destroyed your cave before the one I grew up in. They are here with us, my mother, her mate and my 2 siblings. They are back at our camp. They won't be staying here permanently as they travel from place to place but they may winter here if you will allow it. They will of course help with hunting and gathering to make sure we have enough for everyone. Also, we have 2 other people. One is a boy who is mixed like Durc. He has a weakness with his heart and his adopted mother, an Others woman let him come with us to see if Uba knew a better way to treat his illness. I will look after him like he was my own.</p><p>Also, the Others man who stayed with this clan when you were an infant is still alive and he is with us".</p><p>Brun and Goov both looked surprised and Brun said, "How can he possibly still be alive. He was already an adult when Creb was a child and Creb was an old man when he died".</p><p>Echozar picked up the conversation, "People of the Others seem to live longer. But he is considered unnaturally old even for them. He is an equivalent of what the clan calls a Mogur. He may be able to use his spirit skills to help locate herds of animals for all of us to hunt".</p><p>Brun said, "We found a second cave over the summer so some new people won't cause much crowding".</p><p>Ayla got ready to speak again as she still had to tell about the horses, but all of sudden she heard a child call out "Mama"! and before she knew it Durc was throwing himself in her arms.</p>
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<a name="section0055"><h2>55. Chapter 55</h2></a>
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    <p>After Durc and Ayla had embraced for several moments, he pulled back and gestured rapidly with his hands, "Mama, I knew you were not dead. I could still see you. I don't think the death curse worked. I knew you wouldn't have left if Broud hadn't made you. You're going to stay now, aren't you? Please Mama, don't go away again".</p><p>Ayla waited until Durc is finished before answering, "Yes, Durc. I'm going to stay. I've missed you so much. I was afraid you would die if I took you with me. I didn't know if I could survive myself. At times I wondered if it was worth surviving because I didn't have you with me and I thought I could never come back. Something that helped me to get through it is something I still have to talk to Brun about".</p><p>She turned back to Brun and started signing, "I told you I had to kill a horse so I would have meat and other necessities for winter. I didn't realized until afterwards that the horse was a nursing mother. When I started butchering in the bottom of the pit trap, I heard some hyenas nearby. There was a female baby horse they were going after. I'm not sure what came over me, but I couldn't stand the thought of them killing it. I've loathed hyenas ever since that one tried to carry off Brac. So I drove them off. And then, well, I just couldn't stand the thought of killing the baby horse. So I started taking care of her. Making her mashes from grain I gathered until she was old enough to graze on her own. She has been great company for me. I honestly think I might have died from being alone and so lonely if I hadn't had her companionship. She stays with me like I'm her mother and doesn't really act like a wild horse anymore. I adopted a second baby horse a while later whose mother had been killed by a predator.</p><p>Brun, I know the clan and Others also hunt and eat horses. But I'm begging you that I be allowed to keep them. It feels like they are my own children. I will assume responsibility for all the work that is required for their upkeep in addition to my other duties. I've also been thinking that there may be a way for them to be useful. Perhaps I could come up with a way to make a pole drag that would fit them. And train them to pull it. That would help with carrying meat back from hunts. Zar told me that you've started using pole drags pulled by people. The horses will be even stronger".</p><p>Brun recalled that she had brought small animals for Iza to heal when she was a child. A rabbit and even a baby wolf one time (he had to draw the line at that one). He knew they needed to embrace change and of course the hosting clan of the clan gatherings raised a bear from a cub.</p><p>He turned to Echozar and said, "What do you think and what do the Others you encountered think"?</p><p>Echozar answered, "The people we encountered had never heard of anyone doing this before. But especially the one group we were with, a clan of Mamutoi lead by a man called Talut thought it was a very novel and interesting idea".</p><p>Brun then turned to Goov and asked, "Goov, what do you think? I'm wondering if the horses being nearby might attract predators".</p><p>Goov looked thoughtful and said, "Well, Brun the horses being nearby where Ayla was in her valley was part of the vision I had. Although it is my belief that Ayla was symbolized as a lioness. I believe the horses are meant to be with her".</p><p>Brun said, "Ayla, we will have to be extra vigilant about predators. But your horses may stay. If there are problems, I may have to change my mind at a later time".</p><p>Ayla looked at Brun with gratitude. She then saw Uba and some of the other women coming into view. She looked at Brun and asked to be excused, (old habits die hard). She and Durc quickly made their way over and the 2 sisters embraced for the first time in over a year.</p>
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<a name="section0056"><h2>56. Chapter 56</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ayla and Echozar went back to their companion's campsite and brought them back to Brun's cave. On the way there they explained that a second cave had been found and they could stay there if they wanted to. Although there was enough room at the moment in the main cave for the time being. It was decided it would probably be best for the newcomers to stay in the second cave until they got more used to things. Ayla would keep Rydag with her and Durc in the main cave so she and Uba could keep a close eye on his health issues when they tried different medicines for his heart condition.</p><p>Rahala and Dathan wanted to speak to Brun when they got there. With Echozar translating, Rahala said, "Brun, we thank you so much for you and your late siblings giving our lost daughter a home all those years ago when we were separated from her when the earth shook".</p><p>Dathan added, "Brun we will do everything we can to abide by your wishes without being untrue to ourselves. But there may be differences in how we do things. We mean no disrespect. And thank you for letting us stay here for the time being".</p><p>Brun said, "Yes, we have learned that the Others have different customs through Echozar. He and his former mate's children have taught us much since they came to us in the spring. Ursus has told us that we must start embracing change. That it is his wish and that of the Mother, who we forgot eons ago. We will also try to be understanding so there will not be conflict".</p><p>Brun was introduced to Mamut. Brun motioned for Zoug to join them. As he was the only one alive who was old enough to remember him clearly. Brun had only been less than a year old at the time.</p><p>Mamut said, "I was called Tevek back then. Now, since I serve the Mother, my people called me by the title Mamut. Which is the equivalent of Mogur".</p><p>Zoug shook his head and replied, "I can't believe both of us are still alive. Too stubborn to die, I suppose".</p><p>Mamut said, "I'm glad there is still someone here who remembers me. Sometime when you have a moment Zoug. I would like to ask you about something that happened after I left here".</p><p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Uba had taken Rydag to the medicine hearth. Ayla and Durc came as well. Durc spoke to Rydag and they seemed to hit it off. Uba examined the boy. Ayla told Uba the medicines that she had prescribed for him. Uba searched her memories. She made a slight adjustment in the content and dosage of what he was given. She agreed with Ayla that it was something that could not be cured, but treated, but they would keep a close eye on him. Hopefully the medicines would keep his symptoms under control. They were not sure he would ever be able to hunt or do anything very physical though.</p><p>After this, Uba introduced Ayla to the new members of the cave. She told her how she had treated young Uta's arm. How she had to re-break and set the broken bone.</p><p>Ayla said, "It looks like your arm is just as strong as I'm sure it was before".</p><p>Uta looked pleased and said, "Yes it's strong. I can carry my baby sister when my mother needs to carry other things".</p><p>Ayla was surprised that little Oba had red hair. She was pleased to see Oda and Ura again. And she was a bit reminded of Creb when she saw that Vek had scars on his face. Oda obviously adored her new mate. Compared to the one she had before. It was not surprising.</p><p>Ayla met the new baby of Aga's who was named after her. Ayla said, "Aga she is just beautiful. And I'm honored that you named her after me. Was she born before your mother died? I was so sorry to hear about that''.</p><p>Aga said, "Yes mother got to see her. She was so pleased that we got a chance to honor our promise about the name".</p><p>Ayla went to greet Oga and her children. She asked how she liked having a new mate in Berc.</p><p>Oga answered, "It's such a relief, Ayla. Even though, it's a crowded hearth, so many children. But Orma came up with this idea of using this outcrop of rock as a partition. So it's still somewhat like having my own hearth. And Berc can sleep on which side he wants".</p><p>Ayla greeted everyone else in the cave. Just then Broud walked in carrying a large load of wood. Ayla could scarcely believe it when he looked right at her with no recognition in his eyes.</p>
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<a name="section0057"><h2>57. Chapter 57</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Durc looked back and forth between his mother and Broud. He was actually a bit worried that Broud might suddenly get his memory back and start acting badly toward his mother again. It was a tense moment. Finally he said, "Broud, my mother has come back".</p><p>Broud looked at Ayla and finally said, "Brun and Goov told me when you were here before that I treated you very badly. I can't remember it, but it was wrong of me to do that. If that's the kind of person I was, maybe it would be best if I never remember it".</p><p>Ayla could detect no deception or malice in Broud's body language so finally she nodded and said, "Right after Zar found me, he told me about the ceremony that took your memory along with the bad spirit. He said you were re-learning all your adult duties. It's a second chance for you".</p><p>Ayla didn't know what it was going to be like to once again live in the same cave with the person who had hated her so fiercely. But that person seemed to be gone now and replaced by someone who seemed to want to do better. She was determined that nothing was going to separate her from her son again.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>The next day, a feast was held to welcome back Ayla and Zar. And to welcome the newcomers as well. After an evening of eating and story-telling, everyone settled down for the night. Mamut asked if he could stay at Grod's hearth so he could speak to Zoug. He wanted to ask him about Epa, the unmated clan woman who had looked after him all those years ago.</p><p>The two old men settled around the fire.</p><p>Mamut started, "I'm sorry if my clan language is a little rusty. It's been many years since I've used it. Zar told me that after I left, that Epa gave birth some months later. He told me the child had to be disposed of because of a deformity. Did you see the child yourself? Do you think it really was a deformity? Or could the child have been a mixture like Durc, Ura and Zar and the children of Zar's former mate"?</p><p>Zoug replied, "I didn't see the child myself. But I was at the hearth of the leader Brov when the child was born. Brov's mother Ina was the one who came to report on the birth. Since she was an older woman, she often helped the medicine women with the births much like Ebra and Uka do now. She reported the baby was a girl and that she was deformed. Brov asked her if the child was deformed in the way that Creb was. Ina stated that while the child's limbs moved alright, she couldn't hold her head up. And that she had a bulging forehead and a bony knob at the bottom of her face. She said the child's cry was somewhat weak and she seemed frail. Ina also said that Uba and Oza had convinced her that since she had no mate, it might be best to let the child go without having Brov order it. Back then, it was just a deformity to us. But knowing what we do now because of Durc and the others, I do believe she was mixed".</p><p>Mamut bowed his head in sadness, "I could have spoken for the child if I had been here. But I felt compelled to go back home. I supposed maybe I should have taken her with me, but I fear Epa and the child would not have been accepted among my people based on how many treated little Rydag''.</p><p>Mamut then changed subjects, "Zar also told me that Epa was killed in an earthquake many years ago. Just before the clan took Ayla in".</p><p>Zoug replied, "Yes, she was one of several we lost that day. She was a good woman that always did her best to help with everything in whatever hearth she lived in".</p>
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<a name="section0058"><h2>58. Chapter 58</h2></a>
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    <p>Because Uba and Ayla both thought that Rydag may not be able to do anything very physical like hunting as he grew older. He was given instructions for things he could do. Droog gave him instruction in flint knapping along with Groob and Hochovan. Rydag especially liked to be with Zoug who showed him how to prepare the leather to make slings. Many of the men in the clan were concerned that because he might not be able to hunt because of his heart that he couldn't have a man-hood hunt. Mamut told them that among the Others that it was not a requirement. Echozar and Dathan said that perhaps if he could throw a spear he could have a hunt when he got older. As long as he didn't have to chase the animal. It was hard for the full clan people to think about changing the custom of how a boy was considered a man. But they had to admit, it made sense. Since they were all striving to learn how to throw spears. Besides it would be a few years before they would have to worry about it in Rydag's case.</p><p>Rydag was also able to do tasks that the clan considered women's work. He was especially good at weaving grasses to make the mats that were used in everyone's hearths.</p><p>Mamut had did a Search for them for when they were planning their next hunt. And he started training Goov how to Search and Call as well.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>One morning Brun came to Echozar to ask him something, "Zar, I was thinking that since you and your children are going to stay that you would make an ideal mate for Ayla. Since she is Others and you are partly Others. You seem to get along really well. Durc needs a man of hearth. And Ayla can be a mother for your former mate's children".</p><p>Zar said, "Brun, I know you are used to making all these decisions about matings and such. And I would not mind being her mate at all. But if we go by the wishes of the Mother, Ayla must have a choice in it as well. That is how it is done among the Others. I know she would go along with it if you commanded it, but I want her to mate me because she wants to, not because she is commanded to. There are some women among the Others that never mate. You know, since Ayla has already taught herself to use a spear she could probably provide for her own hearth. Plus she could learn to throw a spear. I'm not saying I don't want to be her mate. I just want her to have a choice in it".</p><p>Brun looked a bit chagrined when he replied, "Of course, I'm still thinking of the old ways when the leader decided who mated whom. You are right, she could provide for herself and Durc. I would be concerned if she became with child again though".</p><p>Zar looked thoughtful and said, "Well in a case like that when she couldn't hunt, most of the stored food is shared communally anyway. Didn't you tell me your brother Creb received his share for his hearth even though he couldn't hunt on account of his disabilities and because he was Mogur? She's not a Mogur, but she is a medicine woman".</p><p>Brun decided it sounded like a good idea. He still hoped Ayla would be amenable to Zar's affections if he expressed them to her. Since Ayla had been raised by Creb and Iza, he considered her almost like family.</p><p>A thought occurred to Brun, "Since Ayla can hunt. Do you think Oda's daughter Ura could learn since she is part Others"?</p><p>Zar replied, "I'm sure she can. My mate's daughter Zika can kill small animals just like her sibling can".</p><p>Brun said, "I've decided to allow it. I know full clan women can not learn to hunt, but Ayla and Ura will be allowed to learn what they need to".</p>
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<a name="section0059"><h2>59. Chapter 59</h2></a>
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    <p>Ayla practiced daily throwing a spear with either Echozar or her Other's family. She and Zoug also started giving instruction to Ura on how to use a sling.</p><p>One day when Ayla was practicing with Echozar. She landed the spear right in the center of the practice target. She was so excited that she looked at Echozar with her eyes shining. If he wasn't already attracted to her, he was now. And he smiled at her. This was something she was not used to growing up as she had.</p><p>She shyly asked, "Why do you look at me like that Zar?"</p><p>He looked down and gestured, "I'm excited that you are excited". Then he got a bit red in the face and continued, "Also I think you are very beautiful Ayla".</p><p>She looked a bit uncomfortable and replied, "I don't detect any deception in what you are saying. But Zar, I can't understand how you could think I'm beautiful. I'm not, you know. I'm too tall and I saw my reflection in the water once, I'm ugly''.</p><p>Zar couldn't believe what he was hearing. But then he thought about it for a bit and said, "But Ayla, I believe you only think you are ugly because you don't look like the people you are used to. You would be considered very attractive if you had grown up among Others. You don't think Rahala, Dathan and your younger siblings are ugly do you"?</p><p>Ayla looked thoughtful and said, "No, I suppose they are just different. But still...</p><p>Echozar interrupted, "But nothing, Ayla. You are not ugly. I'm thinking from what I've heard that maybe Broud used to tell you that as another way to abuse you, didn't he"?</p><p>Ayla looked down and nodded.</p><p>Echozar said, "You didn't let him break you. Don't hold on to any foolishness he said either".</p><p>With that, he gently touched the side of her face.</p><p>They didn't see someone watching them.</p><p>Ayla and Durc had joined Echozar and all the newcomers in the second cave for a mid-day meal. On the journey back from her valley Ayla had been learning to speak again verbally. The S'Armuna language to start with because that is the language that Echozar spoke with her birth family. Of course with their wanderings, they knew many languages. Ayla had also been learning the language of her mother's people, the Terranoma. And also some Mamutoi. Durc had been learning to speak verbally as well.</p><p>After the meal, everyone was having a relaxing cup of tea and discussing an upcoming event. Goov was going to conduct a totem and naming ceremony for Rydag. Ayla was glad about it. It would give Rydag a sense of belonging. She had learned that he had not been allowed to be counted among the Mamutoi. And maybe a strong totem would help keep the sickly boy safe. She and Uba and Rahala were pleased with his condition though. He had not had anymore incidents with his heart since coming to Brun's territory.</p><p>During a lull in the conversation, Durc requested to ask Echozar a question. Echozar nodded yes. Durc signed his words and spoke to the best of his learning up to this point, "Zar, are you going to be my mother's mate"?</p><p>Everyone's eyes in the group got wide and they wondered what Ayla or Zar would say.</p><p>Ayla, who had just taken a sip of tea had to spit it out on the ground to keep from choking. Then she said, "Durc, what an impertinent thing to say. Why do you ask it"?</p><p>Durc looked a little sheepish and answered, "I was coming back from sling practice. I saw you and Zar standing by the spear target. He was touching your face and looking in your eyes. I didn't watch what you were saying, I promise. I think he likes you Mama. Don't you Zar? Maybe you could ask Brun if he would let you mate".</p><p>Ayla looked even more shocked with each thing her son said. She was determined to have a private talk with him later about his forwardness.</p><p>Zar said, "I do like your mother very much Durc. And as a matter of fact, Brun had already asked me if I would become your mate".</p><p>Ayla said, "If that is what Brun had decided. I will do it. Iza wanted me to find a mate before she died".</p><p>Zar shook his head, "Ayla, I don't want you to mate me just because Brun ordered it. I want you to mate me because you want to. I've already discussed this with Brun. You see, among the Others, women have the choice of who they mate or if they don't want to mate at all. Brun agreed with me and said he shouldn't have fallen back on old customs if they are trying to follow the Mother. It's not that I don't want to mate you. But I want it to be because it's what you want, not because you're ordered to. Maybe you will want to make a different choice. Lets take as much time as you need to know what you want".</p><p>Rahala spoke up, "Echozar is right, child. You know, my mother had my whole life planned out for me with me being her successor. But I met and fell in love with Dathan and my life took a completely different path. I realize the way you've grown up you are conditioned to obey the leader in all things. But you must have a choice in your own destiny".</p><p>Ayla realized she had a lot to think about. It seemed so foreign to her that she could choose her own mate.</p>
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<a name="section0060"><h2>60. Chapter 60</h2></a>
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    <p>Goov performed Rydag's naming first. Making the markings on his face with the sacred red paste. Durc stood beside him assisting him as was his duty as an acolyte. Ayla was so proud that her son had been chose to be Goov's student.</p><p>Goov then performed Rydag's totem ceremony, he said, "Spirit of Arctic Fox, this boy Rydag is given to you for protection".</p><p>Everyone at the ceremony was pleased with the totem. They had all become fond of the the boy and wanted him to have the protection of a totem spirit. Especially because of his health problems.</p><p>_______________________________________________________________________________________________</p><p>A few days after the totem ceremony, Ayla had taken Durc and Rydag with her to work with Droog who was making new hand axes for the women to use. Mamut had come along and brought some samples of the flint tools that Wymez made back at the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi. He wanted to see what Droog thought of the new techniques that Wymez had used and if he could adapt it for the clan. He described it as best he could with Ayla translating for him the more difficult words.</p><p>After the men were finished speaking, Ayla set herself to work on a new ax for herself. At some point she reached for the rock that she struck the flint with. Unknowingly she picked up the wrong stone. She had picked up one of the shiny stones that everyone sometimes saw in the valley. When she struck the flint, it caused a spark. She could hardly believe what she had seen. She struck the flint again and saw another spark.</p><p>She called the men over. She explained what happened and asked both of them to confirm what she had seen. They both saw the spark as well. She asked Durc to gather her some dry tinder. She was going to try to start a fire. It worked.</p><p>"What does it mean, Mamut"?, Ayla asked. "How can fire come from a rock"?</p><p>Mamut said, "Goov and I must meditate on this. I believe you have discovered some powerful magic Ayla".</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>To be continued in part 2 which I will be posting what I have so far soon.</p>
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